News flash: Drivers with cell phones are poky
Posted on January 3rd, 2008 – 6:05 AMBy Roadguy
It might not be Roadguy’s imagination after all: A study out of the University of Utah says subjects who talked on cell phones during a virtual driving experiment drove more slowly than when they weren’t talking on the phone, and such behavior slows down traffic for everybody else. A Reuters version of the story is here, Associated Press version here.
The story reminded Roadguy of a sign he saw last week in a school zone in a suburb of Dallas:
This rule just took effect Dec. 3 (a news story is here). But many researchers say the problem isn’t the holding of the phone — it’s the talking. (The subjects in the Utah test were using hands-free phones.)
So, what’s your take? Click below to share your thoughts on the study and on whether Minnesota should have more cell phone restrictions for drivers.
19 Responses to "News flash: Drivers with cell phones are poky"
I’ve seen so many different types of erratic driving behavior that I’m not sure you can single out just one, like this study does. You could probably get the same result doing a study on cell phone use and fast driving, at least down here in the Deep South.
I agree with Froggie. I’ve seen people chatting on their cell phones going both slower than or faster than the posted speed limit. Headset, Bluetooth or handheld, it doesn’t matter.
There are also others with no regard for anything other than their own ego and will blow by you at Faster Than Light speeds. Anything less than that and the world comes to an end for them.
Then there are ones who believe their SUV or oversize pickup truck is a tank and has the right to pick any speed they want, take up one or more lanes at their discretion and cut off whoever they choose.
This doesn’t bother me too much. I stick to my speed (roughly the posted limit, +/- 5) and move on. Now, if you want to get into a heated discussion, let’s talk sometime about why there isn’t a driver in the Cities that can deal with any of the interchanges on I-394 at 94, 100, 169, or 494 or just highway merging in general.
I find cell phone yakkers to be yo-yo drivers–slowly lose speed ’til they notice they slowed down, then speed up and pass everyone again, then slowly slow down as they are once again immersed in their all-important conversation. I love drivers who use one hand to hold the phone and the other hand to “talk”.
This school zone ban is just another useless, unenforcable law that will be widely ignored. How’s that law we have banning teens from celling while driving going? Driving distracted is already illegal. Let’s just start enforcing that.
Of course, that would require police to actually start observing these infractions and DOING something about it. That is the frustrating thing to me. I’ve seen cops ignore blatant violations hundreds of times. With all of the idiot drivers out there, a cop should never be more than a mile from his next pullover. With all of the police funding woes, I don’t get it.
If they pulled over a violator every time they saw one, police funding would/could be self-sufficient (if the fine money went to funding cops and not the general fund).
A perfect example is the officer involved in the New Year’s tragedy. Before their accident with the wrong-way driver he and his wife had been watching christmas lights synched to a radio station. What? This is our tax dollars at work? One can only hope that this occurred during his break, and not while he was supposed to be patrolling.
Driving slower while talking is proof that the brain is handling too many tasks at once, like a computer trying to open a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet while running any other Microsoft product.
Bob Collins, over at an MPR blog, quotes the study as saying “The talking drivers took 15 to 19 seconds longer to traverse a 9.2-mile segment of Salt Lake County-simulated freeway, according to the study.” Taking an additional 15 to 19 seconds over a 9 mile section of freeway won’t appreciably slow down traffic. It is other behavior, coupled with slow driving, that has a detrimental effect on others. For instance, if a poky driver chooses to drive next to another poky driver on a multi-lane freeway, they will case more slowdowns. If they all stay in the right lane, it won’t have the same impact. So the question needs to be: are people talking on the phone less attentive & more ‘rude’ than people who aren’t on the phone?
I would think that reflexes are the biggest factor. If you got a phone to your face, you may be ok for a straight stretch of roadway, but you’re not prepared for a sudden danger.
What if a little kid runs into the street?
I was in four lanes of freeway traffic in my compact car yesterday, with a big semi right behind me, and SUV’s switching lanes all over… Glad I wasn’t on the phone.
I am probably going to get harangued for this, but I actually use my cell phone to slow me down because I notice I drive slower that way. I’m a total iron foot and I dislike it, but I have a hard time slowing down…I’ll slowly speed up, notice I am going too fast, slow down, then slowly speed up, rinse, repeat.
If I have my handsfree in, I am more conscious that I need to be conscious, and watch my odometer more as well as being more aware of my surroundings. I think it has to do with the fact that I can be a bit of a daydreamer, which is worse than cell phone distraction!!
Personally I feel that while I’m behind the wheel of a car I need to focus on the task at hand, which is driving the car! Any other activities going on while I’m driving only serves to distract me. The focus needs to be on the operation of the automobile and to be mindful of what is going on around me. If I’m eating breakfast, talking on the phone, reading the paper, or anything other than driving the car then I’m a safety hazzard waiting for an opportunity. I don’t do any of those things by the way, not to say I haven’t tried them. I had a couple of close calls that told me that I need to focus on the task of driving when i’m behind the wheel.
Reading an article on the study last night, I read that the 15-19 second average slower arrival time was claimed to cause significant traffic issues when multiplied across thousands of other drivers. The effects then cascade through the network causing noticeable slowdowns.
I’m fine with people driving slower on average. I just wish they’d avoid doing it in the passing lane of traffic! Heh.
I’m okay with drivers talking on cell phones while driving (but not teens in any circumstance). I just wish there would be seriously financial painful consequences for drivers whose cell phone use contributes to a moving violation or an accident. That way people can make informed decisions on whether to do it or not. If it is important enough (an emergency) to risk it, they can.
Why just teens? I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time, so I can’t drive and phone–and I’m 45–and I know there are plenty others just like me. That law needs to be changed very quickly.
There are so many bad driving behaviors that are already illegal but very commonly occur on our roads. I think we should start enforcing those first.
Thank you for the opportunity to vent! I firmly believe that cell ph users cause more than a 2 mile/2 minute per hr delay for other drivers. What about the driver in the left turn lane and when the light finally turns green, he’s too busy text messaging to move! Or the driver on his cell phone at the 4-way stop who doesn’t bother to look around - just stops, then goes. Or the driver coming onto the freeway with the cell phone up to his left ear and wants to cross over two lanes of traffic to get to the inside lane without so much as a signal while others are traveling at 70 MPH. These people are oblivious to their surroundings & can not possibly react as quickly as they should. I sincerely hope new laws are forthcoming.
Accidents are inversely-proportional to driver attentiveness. The less focused you are on the task at hand (driving), the more likely you are to have or cause an accident. Drivers engage in all kinds of distracting behavior: fiddling with the stereo; fumbling in the glovebox, purse, briefcase; dealing with kids in the backseat; glancing at a map or list of directions; and talking or texting on a cellphone. And while you’re distracted, you’re not paying attention to road conditions or other vehicles around you. One huge factor is the duration of the distraction. Generally speaking, there is a lot of “tolerance” involved which prevents an accident from happening. Lanes are wider than the vehicles, in case you drift a bit. There’s a certain amount of spacing between the vehicles which allows for inconsistent speeds. But now we’re pushing all those boundaries. Vehicles are larger. Following distances are shorter. Traffic lanes are narrower. And along comes cellphones with text-messaging capability and every moron who would use it. If you momentarily take your eyes off the road to change stations on your radio, you probably don’t use up enough of your “tolerance” to have an issue. But if the distraction is lengthy or repeated too often, you lose all your margin for error. Imagine driving through a tunnel which was only a few inches wider than your vehicle. Yes, you could do it; but how long do you think it would it be before you hit the side?
Being intoxicated while driving is illegal because it is NOT a momentary distraction, and it impairs your ability to drive. How is using a cellphone any different?
I think we need to let people know when their behavior is not acceptable. If I see someone driving like an idiot, or going super super slow, I feel psychic when I drive by and I am right that they are holding their damn phone. I HONK at them, hoping they will get the hint. Otherwise, they remain oblivious that they are irritating me and everyone else who has to go around them. I think some people have faster processing and can handle a phone call while driving. Others can’t and it’s always obvious.
Several years ago the NTSB did a study comparing talking on a cell phone while driving vs. drunk driving. I don’t remember the details anymore but they found the driving ability of people on the phone drivers was comparable to people with a 0.2 blood alcohol level.
Really Suz, because I’ve got a study downloaded on my computer that says there is no difference between drivers with cell phones and those without.
Personally, the majority of drivers and people who just don’t seem to “get it” that I pass (or pass me) are not on their cell phones.
Here’s a question - if cell phones are so much more dangerous, why don’t insurance companies charge different rates for people who use/do not use them when driving? Insurance companies could refuse to cover any accidents if the driver was on the phone.
The fact that we don’t see a bigger push from insurance companies to curb cell phone use tells me that, statistically, it’s a non-issue.
I believe cellphone use has grown in poplularity faster than any regulation can keep up with it. It’s become available first, and the social repercussions are being dealt with one at a time (no cellphone use allowed in theaters, camera phone not allowed in health club lockerrooms, etc.). It’s far easier and faster to introduce a new product into the market, which then gets used in an irresponsible manner than it is for the market (society) to settle on a responsible way to use it.
Prof - Both studies could be right. We can’t know without reading both and determining what was done differently. I don’t remember all the details about the NTSB study, but it was done before hands-free phones were common. That may be one reason there is a difference.
In my opinion when we started passing laws concerning young drivers not allowed to drive and talk at the same time - why did we not just pass the law for everyone? The adults are worse than the younger drivers. Whether hands free or not, pull off onto the shoulder or next exit if you think the call is important enough. Lets teach our young drivers responsibility, Not do as I say and not as I do.
