Are hands-free cellular phones safer?
You're driving down the road and you notice a car weaving and slowing down and speeding up. A few years ago, you might have thought that driver was operating his or her vehicle while under the influence. These days, it's just as likely he or she is talking on a cellular phone.
Several studies have been released lately that suggest that drivers use hands-free cellular phones to reduce the likelihood of an accident while driving. That might not be the solution, according to a new ICBC study.
That study found that a driver's performance is significantly undermined when the motorist is engaged in a conversation on a hands-free cellular phone.
But if you've got both hands on the wheel, then what's the problem?
"The impact of the cell phone on driving is not straight-forward," says Dr. John Vavrik, ICBC's research psychologist. "The more complex the driving task, the more the conversation on a cell phone interferes with driving performance."
The driver distraction study, designed and conducted by ICBC with MacInnis Engineering, looked at how listening or responding to messages while driving could affect driving performance. It measured responses by motorists in traffic situations while they were engaged in discussions that simulated a hands-free cellular phone conversation.
Forty-one motorists who are regular cellular phone users participated in three-hour road tests at the Pacific Traffic Education Centre track at the Delta Boundary Bay airport in British Columbia. Drivers followed an oval course designed to simulate driving situations including a traffic light, a left turn, and weaving to avoid obstacles in the traveled lane. While driving, motorists heard a voice through a speaker that asked questions designed to require attention.
The impact of the messages on driver performance increased with greater driving task complexity. When completing the traffic signal task, drivers were more cautious and tended to stop as opposed to trying to go through the yellow light in order to divert their attention to the messages. But with the weaving and left-turn tasks performance was significantly compromised with the presence of the messages.
The most demanding task required left-turn decisions. Drivers who were listening and responding to messages while attempting a left-hand turn used significantly shorter gaps in the oncoming traffic to make their turn. This primarily occurred under wet pavement conditions.
Drivers who were not listening or responding to messages realized that it would take an oncoming vehicle longer to stop when the pavement was wet, and therefore waited for greater gaps in on-coming traffic to make their turn. But when responding to messages, the drivers did not make this adjustment and were twice as likely to accept potentially hazardous gaps in on-coming traffic, said researchers.
"It appears that when a driver's mind is taken off the task of making a left turn, the driver tends to make decisions that could result in more close calls or a crash," says Vavrik.
The study also shows that when drivers were involved in a conversation and had to swerve to avoid colliding with an obstacle on the road, they went around the obstacle an average of 11 percent faster.
"As a major proponent of road safety in British Columbia, ICBC will continue to research the potential risks associated with driver distraction," says ICBC president Thom Thompson. "We will develop awareness programs to educate people about the safety-related problems associated with the use of all types of communication devices while driving."
In the meantime, ICBC stresses that staying focussed on the road should be the driver's priority. Any type of distraction -- such as talking on a cell phone, drinking coffee, adjusting radio dials or turning to talk to people in the back seat -- could increase a motorist's risk of being involved in a crash.
By Sandy Smith
Content Manager, Safety Online
E-mail: ssmith@verticalnet.com