Attention, Performance and Cell Phones - Research Paper Example

Drivers are mostly distracted by the use of cellular phones while driving. Drivers are more likely to miss traffic rules and lights while talking on a cell phone. The demands of engaging in a conversation affect the central cognition. With this concern, many countries have implemented rules to ban the use of cellular phones while driving. This paper seeks to discuss why cell phone use and driving is a dangerous combination. The use of cell phone while driving can be distracting, and a major cause of road accidents.

Driving is a challenging and complex task that requires concentration. Using a mobile phone causes physical, visual, and cognitive distraction. Physical distraction occurs when the driver removes the hand from the steering wheel to call, answer, and end a call. This may have a huge effect on concentration and judgment and as a result, the driver may fail to observe traffic rules. Visual distraction occurs when the driver takes more of his time engaging into a conversation than observing the road.

As a result, a driver may take a long period to respond to traffic signals or a time completely misses them. Cognitive distraction happens when the driver perform two mental tasks at the same period. This results to unsafe driving and increase the risk of accidents. Engaging into a conversation competes with the demands of driving and this challenge the driver to drive accurately. A research conducted by Yung-Ching Liu & Yang-Kun Ou (2011) shows that, using a hand-free phone, which translate a speech into text is more distracting than using a standard hand-held device.

Most people are addicted to their phones. It is hard for a driver to ignore a ping of a text or an incoming call as they drive. What makes the use of a hand-free phone more risky is that it increases cognitive distraction (Spataro & Muligan, 2013). According to Spataro & Muligan, the brain is so much engrossed into the conversation than it is with eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. As a result, it becomes hard for the driver to process what is happening on the road. When drivers engage into a conversation, they are less likely to check mirrors and notice hazards.

A standard hand-held device enables the driver to communicate while observing what is happening on the road. Talking on a hand-free phone has a negative influence on the driving performance. In essence, people talking on these devices drive at faster speed than those using hand-held device. Cognitive distraction that occur from listening and responding to the disembodied voice attribute to numerous driving impairments such as inattention blindness and slower reaction times of staying in the lane.

A driver is more distracted when talking to a phone while driving than talking to a person riding in the car with them. In the former, there may be physical distraction, visual, and cognitive distraction. However, in the latter the driver may not be distracted to observe road safety. The driver only needs to respond or communicate with the person riding in the car with them without using his hands to dial, call, or end conversation. Still, there is less cognitive distraction since the driver does not need to multitask while driving.

Driving while engaging into a telephone conversation or texting does not only distracts the driver, but also reduces the driver’s concentration on the road. In essence, the duration and complexity of the conversation negatively affect driving safety. A