Why Multitasking While Driving is so Dangerous

TEXAS. According to Business Insider, talking on the phone, even with a hands-free device is believed to be just as dangerous as driving drunk. Researchers have found that whether a person is using a hands-free device or a hand-held phone, the results are about the same: phone users were found to be more dangerous than drunk drivers. While some people might think that talking on a hands-free phone is just as safe as talking to a passenger in the car, researchers have found that this is not the case. In fact, even talking to a passenger inside your car poses its own set of risks. Why would talking on a cell phone be more dangerous than talking to a passenger? One theory suggests that passengers can see risks on the road and adjust their conversation to help the driver, while others believe that talking on the phone requires greater cognitive effort period.

According to QZ, psychologists have noted that true multitasking is not possible. When a person checks a text message while driving or when a person looks down to take a call, the attention is temporarily switched from focusing on driving to focusing on the phone. This switching of attention is particularly dangerous because you are simply not watching the road if you are watching your phone. One popular statistic reminds drivers that checking their text messages while driving could take their attention off the road for a distance as long as a football field. Drunk drivers, on the other hand, while dangerously impaired, are still trying, probably harder, to focus on the road.

Researchers have also noted that there is a cognitive cost to switching between tasks. This task switching requires more effort to perform each task than if you had just focused on the task up front.

Part of the danger of distracted driving is that drivers may not always realize how dangerous they are being. Multitasking takes our attention away from each of the tasks we are doing, and it also makes us less able to assess our ability at each of the tasks we are doing. People think they are great multitaskers when they are not.

So, what’s the takeaway? Don’t text and drive, and if you are driving, avoid using hands-free phones while behind the wheel, regardless what the laws are in your state. Focus on driving while driving and make your phone calls later.

The Cooper Law Firm are car accident lawyers in Texas who see far too many accidents that could have been easily prevented had drivers focused on the road. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident in Texas, you may have certain rights under the law. For example, you may be entitled to seek damages for your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have questions about your rights, visit the Cooper Law Firm in Texas today to learn more.

Cooper Law Firm
501 N Third St,
Longview, TX 75601
Telephone: (903) 297-0037