Why People Drive Distracted - Essay Example

6 November Why People Drive Distracted The popularity of cellular phones has often been cited as one of the main causes of driving distractions that lead to poor driving performance and higher risks of accidents. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in 2009 stresses that one of the main causes of driver distraction is using cellular phones. Marketers and active users of cell phones while driving, nevertheless, can argue that drivers are also distracted by other tasks, such as eating, drinking, and looking at billboards and people should not solely blame cellular phones as the major cause of driver distractions. This essay analyzes the main causes of driver distraction and it argues that there are only several primary factors that distract drivers from focusing on driving. People drive distracted, because of attention and action given to telecommunication devices, especially cell phones, and because they tend to have an inaccurate perceptions of their management of driving distractions. The mere attention provided telecommunication devices can distract drivers from their driving tasks. When someone calls or sends a text message, even when the driver does not respond to it, he/she can already become distracted. If the driver is especially in conflict with someone or has problems, these telecommunication devices can distract them from focusing on their driving, because their mind will wander to these problems that cell phones will remind them of. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration provided a contract to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in 2009 to study driver distractions during safety and baseline events and to understand the risks of driving while distracted. This study shows that drivers who reach for their cell phones or dial their cell phones have an odds ratio of 6.72, which means that they have 6.72 times more likely to have an accident while driving (U.S. Department of Transportation 147). Future studies can even compare having cell phones inside the car and having no cell phones inside cars and it would not be surprising to find the “presence” of cell phones alone as more distracting than having no cell phones inside automobiles. Most of high risks of driving, based on the report of the Department of Transportation, already suggest such possibility. Cell phones can truly increase risks of distraction and accidents, which is many states have banned their use while driving. Furthermore, acting on telecommunication devices can significantly distract drivers and increase their accident risks. Findings from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) emphasize that “most risky behavior identified” is “text message on cell phone,” with the corresponding “odds ratio of 23.2,” which means that drivers who send text messages were 23.2 times more likely to engage in accidents than drivers who were not text messaging (U.S. Department of Transportation 146). Why are cell phones capable of distracting drivers? Kidd and Horrey have investigated the accuracy of estimated distraction effects for drivers. Their findings show that cell phones inside the cars increase driving inattention. Smith et al. have recently finished their study, where they analyzed the impact of cell phone and text messaging on true and false recognition. True recognition pertains to remembering events or information as they actually occurred, while false recognition involves remembering information in a different way from the actual happenings or having “false memories” (Smith et al. 351). Their findings demonstrate that cell phone and text messaging decrease true recognition, which indicates that cell phones can greatly distract drivers from having accurate memories that guide good driving performance. These studies conclude that cell phones “divert” important attention that should have been focused on driving objects, because cell phones tend to direct driver's attention away from their driving. Moreover, drivers are distracted during driving, because they have inaccurate estimations of how they respond to driving distractions. Many drivers believe that their perceptions of driving distractions improve during time. For instance, the more they use their cell phones, the more they feel that they are skilled in using them while driving. Studies disagree, however, with this perception. Kidd and Horrey's findings demonstrate that drivers are misconceiving their idea that they can improve how they react to distractions over time, because they do not even receive enough feedback that will align these perceptions with their actual performance (43). They note studies that stress the contribution of external feedback to improve the accuracy of risk perceptions, and so without this external feedback, it is highly unlikely that drivers improve their abilities to fight distractions over time. This conclusion indicates that even when they have been using cellphones before while driving, doing this more often cannot improve their abilities to multi-task while driving. Supporters of cell phone use while driving will argue that cell phones are safer now, as long as drivers use their hand-free device. Studies, however, stress that this is a common “misconception.” These reports are not even “new” findings, because in 1997, Violanti's study of ratio of relationships between cellular phones and driving accidents already reveals that cellphones caused driver distractions that led to several kinds of common accidents, particularly going beyond speed limits, going to the wrong side of the road, hitting a fixed object, and swerving. Thus, it is not true that hands-free use of cellphones cannot be a cause of driving distraction. One more point that cellphone users may use is that experienced drivers are less prone to driver distractions, since they are already used to multitasking. These studies point out that drivers may think that they are not distracted by conducting dual or multiple tasks while driving, while in essence, they are increasing accident risks because of reduced attention to their driving performance. Smith et al. already show that false recognition is more frequent when people call or send text messages while driving. Cross-cultural studies highlight that using cell phones distract drivers enough to increase collision risks (Violanti 423). Kidd and Horrey also underline that people miscalculate their driving skills. Many drivers think that they can manage these distractions better in time, but in reality, they remain distracted when doing these tasks. It does not matter if the driver sees himself or herself as “experienced” as a driver or as a multitasker, because either way, cell phones can significantly distract drives from their driving attention. People drive distracted, because they are distracted by their telecommunication devices, especially their cell phones, and because they think that they have improved their abilities to manage these distractions in time. Supporters of cell phone use while driving will argue that using the hands-free option for their cellular phones can decrease driver distraction and that experienced drivers can perform multitasking while driving. They assert that cell phones do not pose a great danger to drivers and society in general. This essay shows that these are unfounded arguments, because empirical studies highlight that hands-free use and experience are not enough to fight driver distraction from mobile communication devices. Hence, telecommunication devices and incorrect estimation of one's driving abilities are still the primary causes of driver distractions. Works Cited Kidd, David G. and William Horrey. “Distracted Driving: Do Drivers' Perceptions of Distractions Become More Accurate Over Time?” Professional Safety 55.1 (2010): 40-45. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. Academic Source Premier. Smith, Theodore S., Isaak, Matthew I., Senette, Christian G., and Brenton G. Abadie. “Effects of Cell-Phone and Text-Message Distractions on True and False Recognition.” CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking 14.6 (2011): 351-358. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. Academic Source Premier. U.S. Department of Transportation. Driver Distraction in Commercial Vehicle Operations. 2009. Web. 30 Oct. 2011 . Violanti, J.M. “Cellular Phones and Traffic Accidents.” Public Health 111.6 (1997): 423-428. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. Academic Source Premier. Read More