@Bellatrix Where’s Your Head?
In his book, Emotional Design, Donald Norman, a usability and design expert, briefly considered the use of cell phones and driving. Having seen preliminary research which showed no difference in accident rates between handheld cell phone use and hands-free cell phone use, he guessed it was because a phone conversation puts us in an emotional space outside the immediate environment.
You are in two places at once – the physical space you are in and the mental and emotional space in which your conversation is taking place. Though you can perform the mechanics of driving, your “inattention” or, rather, “divided attention” means you are less able to plan, to anticipate the actions of other drivers, and to react to any unexpected conditions. As you get drawn into the conversation, you are less able to reflect on what you are doing, which is operating a two-ton machine.
What are the consequences?
The Insurance Industry Reviews the Data
The Insurance Industry Institute has reviewed the latest research. Seventy-three percent of drivers now report using a cell phone while driving. They found that talking on a cell phone while driving increases your chances of an accident by 1.3 times even when using a hands-free headset. This is about the same as when driving while drunk (at the legal intoxication limit). While this increased risk is much less than when reaching for a falling item, it leads to many more accidents because of the amount of time spent using cell phones while driving.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2152783
Where’s your head is the title of the article – not an implication, dear.