One of the things I love about having studied psychology is its relevance to everyday life. Some of the subjects that I am most interested in and passionate about are topics that regularly come up in conversation, and I love hearing other people’s views on these subjects. One of the most interesting of these subjects is one that almost everyone has a view on but, interestingly, the common view tends to be completely at odds with the psychology behind it. The issue I’m referring to is the use of mobile phones while driving.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Would you use a handheld mobile phone while driving?
- Would you use a handsfree mobile phone while driving?
Most people answer no to the first question, not least because it’s illegal (in the UK anyway), but a lot would happily talk on the phone while driving if they were using a handsfree kit.
But surely that’s better?
It might seem obvious that this would be much safer than having to look at the phone to dial a number, and somehow manage to hold the phone while also needing both hands to drive the car. The fact that the former is against the law, but that using a hands-free phone is legally acceptable also helps to reinforce this idea. This variant of the law is not just specific to the UK – there are a number of countries which have legislation restricting the use of phones while driving, but most of them allow the use of handsfree, making the assumption that the source of any interference caused to the driving is due to peripheral factors such as holding the phone and dialling the number. Yet other in-car activities such as tuning the radio, eating, drinking and smoking (all of which involve use of the hands) are not illegal in the UK (although they can be punishable if they result in careless driving).
The real cause of danger
Research on the subject strongly suggests that actually, it’s not the physical elements of holding the phone etc which make talking while driving so dangerous, but more the cognitive factor of dividing your attention. The fact that, instead of paying your full attention to the road and what is going on around you, a proportion of your attention is going on a conversation with someone who could be thousands of miles away.
The standard argument that people have to this point is that having a conversation on the phone is the same as having a conversation with a passenger in the car. However, the key difference is the psychological distance between you driving, and the person you are talking to on the phone. The passenger in the car is aware of the driving conditions, and, particularly if they themselves drive, may even be keeping half an eye on the road themselves, aware that, because they are engaged in conversation the driver may not be giving the driving their full attention. In contrast, the person on the other end of the phone may not even be aware that you are driving at the time.
In fact, studies have shown that conversations with passengers are modulated by driving difficulties – that as the demands of the driving increase, participation in the conversation, by all participants, decreases. If you approach a complicated juntion, you’ll probably stop talking, and your passenger will understand and wait until you’re clear to resume the conversation. With a phone call, the level of attention given to the conversation is likely to remain steady, so if the road demands more attention, it does not necessarily receive it. The person on the end of the phone wouldn’t know why you’d suddenly gone silent, so you’re more likely to just carry on talking, and not give that junction the attention it needs.
There is little evidence that using a handsfree kit over a handheld phone is safer. In fact, much research shows that there is no real difference in the accident rates between the using handsfree and handheld phones, and that even using a handsfree kit can increase the risk of accidents fourfold, putting it on a par with drink driving.
Is there any way to make it safer?
The variety of research on the topic is fascinating, with some interesting findings:
- using a phone has a minimal effect on the more automated driving skills, but that other elements such as perception and decision-making can be critically impaired
- people find it easier to divide their attention between the eye and the ear if the two sources are coming from the spatial location, and so phone conversations may cause less disruption, and therefore be safer, if the speaker is mounted at the front of the car, rather than using an earpiece which is coming from the side.
It’s a complex topic, with no straightforward answers, and I could go on for pages. It has been shown time after time that it is the cognitive distraction, and not any physical distraction, which causes using a phone whlie driving to be so dangerous, and yet virtually nowhere legislates against this. I think that it’s about time that governments start to recognise this fact, and that drivers start to recognise the risk they’re taking.
For really interesting, easy-to-understand, and more in-depth information on the topic, take a look at this white paper, produced by the US National Safety Council.
Photo sourced from Dialaphone.
