Ignoring the Perils of Driving and Talking? You May Be Addicted, Prof Says
Multi-tasking lawyers take note: Talking on your cell phone while driving is a dangerous activity.
Drivers who use cell phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers, and the likelihood they will have an accident is the same as a person with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent, the New York Times reports.
The Times highlighted the research and the case of Christopher Hill, who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide after he ran a red light while talking on a cell phone. Hill crashed into a sport utility vehicle, causing the death of the woman driving the car.
Talking on a cell phone results in an estimated 2,600 fatal car accidents every year, according to a 2003 Harvard study noted in the article.
Crashes are just as risky for those who use hands-free devices, researchers have found.
Scientists say people talk on cell phones despite the risks because of the pressure to stay in touch, the story says. And some people using digital devices show signs of addiction, making it difficult to give up the devices while driving, according to Harvard psychology professor John Ratey.
“We need that constant pizzazz, the reward, the intensity,” he told the Times. He disagrees with the suggestion that people multi-task in their cars because of the need to be productive. “The justification for doing work is just that—a justification to be engaged,” he said.
The Times noted these legislative developments:
• No state has banned talking on cell phones while driving.
• Five states and Washington, D.C., require drivers to use hands-free devices while talking on cell phones.
• Fourteen states ban texting while driving; a similar bill in New York is awaiting the governor’s signature.
• About 170 bills addressing distracted driving have been introduced in state legislatures, but fewer than 10 have passed.
This interactive game published by the newspaper is designed to demonstrate how a driver’s reaction time is slowed by distractions.
