Affects on response times when driving

[LHutton]

Makes you wonder about the UK policy of 3 points for using a mobile vs a 12 month ban for drink driving.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i245/lukos_/ResponseTimesDriving_zps8b1b33cc.png (http://s74.photobucket.com/user/lukos_/media/ResponseTimesDriving_zps8b1b33cc.png.html)

[Yw-slayer]

It's not just response time. Alcohol gives you dutch courage and makes you take risks that you otherwise wouldn't. How else would ugly people manage to have sex?

[Kchrpm]

And getting drunk, and then getting sober, is a much longer process. You can't just raise and lower your drunkenness at will.

[Yw-slayer]

I should add that apart from your judgment and risk evaluation abilities, drinking also affects you sense of balance and spatial awareness. All of these are issues if you are operating a 2-3 ton metal vehicle travelling at speed. In any event, surely the more over the legal limit you are, the more your reaction time will suffer.

[Crazed_Insanity]

What? Hands-free mobile talk can cause such delays as well? So it's probably a bad idea for F-1 drivers talking with the pit crew? Comparatively, if you have a drink before the race, you'd probably improve your lap time! Faster reaction time than talking on the radio and it will for sure make you braver too! ;)

[George]

Effects is the word you were looking for. :p

[Yw-slayer]

Of course, but I didn't think that even needed pointing out.

[21Kid]

I don't see how holding the phone causes that much of a delay... :? If I were to ever do it. ;) I would try to be more conscious of things going on, knowing that I'm doing something that can be dangerous. I wouldn't think I'd be that much more distracted than I would be using a hands-free device.

I suppose 1sec x 40% is just 1.4 sec.

I think what this really shows is that we need to raise the blood alcohol limit. ;)

[thesameguy]

What? Hands-free mobile talk can cause such delays as well? So it's probably a bad idea for F-1 drivers talking with the pit crew? Comparatively, if you have a drink before the race, you'd probably improve your lap time! Faster reaction time than talking on the radio and it will for sure make you braver too! ;)


I don't see how holding the phone causes that much of a delay... :?

in this case, the studies don't agree with the statistics. The studies have all shown it's the act of talking on the phone that causes the issue, whether it's hands-free or hand-held. People literally space out regardless of where the phone is. I gotta believe the statistics shown don't have enough resolution - eg they don't account for driver behavior. Maybe people who statistically use hands free devices are also statistically better drivers - that would certainly make sense to me. The article is clearly more focused on nutshell truths than the whole picture. Whatevs. Don't drive whilst fucking about, we all know that.

[21Kid]

I've also read that talking to people in the same car as you is just as distracting as hands-free. They should have that on the list.

The delay for texting should be much higher too, IMO. You have to look at a screen and try and type. Most of the time the people aren't even looking at the road. Unless it's type to talk, then it should have a different category.

[George]

Stumbled across this elsewhere on the web and thought it appropriate to put here.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHixeIr_6BM

[G'day Mate]

I've also read that talking to people in the same car as you is just as distracting as hands-free. They should have that on the list.

Nah, I don't think that's true because a person in the car with you is much more aware of whatever current situation the driver is in whereas someone on the other end of the phone will just keep talking and distracting the driver.

[Phil_SS]

They should add eating also.

Or what about receiving road head? Or giving it, don't ask George told me not to say anything....

[Drachen596]

on an old phone i could send entire messages without ever looking at the phone. combination of knowing the keys and the T9 feature.

if you want to see how distracted people are by their phones even while walking just visit a store. or consider there was a woman who fell into a manhole cover while texting and walking..

[Yw-slayer]

Or what about receiving road head?

A friend with experience might say that this is a bad idea.

[Dicknose]

Its amazing how often I see a vehicle in front of me and can guess they are on the phone just because they are wandering in the lane and not keeping a constant distance to the vehicle in front of them.

But Id put money on all these people saying "being on the phone doesnt affect my driving"
Thats part of the problem - the same distracted brain that struggles to do these tasks is distracted from noticing you arent doing them as well as usual!

[thesameguy]

I'd suggest that those people (and I know the ones you're talking about) were awful drivers to start with. Maybe differently awful, but awful. They're so unaware of their lack of talent that when they're slightly more impaired it never even registers.

[Rare White Ape]

I know from experience that texting is a lot harder than merely talking while driving, especially since the proliferation of touchscreen phones. Even harder is facebooking; sometimes that like button is real hard to find while navigating busy intersections. Anyway, gotta go, I'm on the highway and I'm pretty sure there's a cop behind me and my helmet chinstrap is not done up. I could get booked for that.

[Dicknose]

My helmet doesn't have an Oz compliance sticker.
But it is almost hands free, one button to answer the call.
However using my right hand to separate glove from jacket to look at my watch (on left wrist) to see caller ID is probably not the best.

[Dicknose]

I'd suggest that those people (and I know the ones you're talking about) were awful drivers to start with. Maybe differently awful, but awful. They're so unaware of their lack of talent that when they're slightly more impaired it never even registers.
Actually I think most people get worse when doing other tasks and are blissfully unaware.
It definitely not just people who are bad drivers.

I know I'm getting bad at driving and talking. Not sure if this is a lack of practice (99% of time I'm in the car by myself) or just better at noticing that I'm worse!

[thesameguy]

Actually I think most people get worse when doing other tasks and are blissfully unaware.

I would argue that if Action 1 compromises Action 2 and you don't know Action 2 has gotten worse, you weren't actually good at Action 2 to start with. I consider being good at something to include knowing your limitations concerning it, and you if you can't realize texting has compromised your driving, you weren't good at driving in the first place.

[Rare White Ape]

I think it's more to do with caring/not caring.

If you're not interested in driving and find it a chore why would you give a shit that you could be better at it, or that someone else is judging you coz you drifted across the line or you're 10 over or under the speed limit?

[thesameguy]

Oh, for sure. And those people are the worst - "drivers." Blows my mind that someone can sit in that chair and literally look about for anything to do other that pilot a multiton hunk of metal in a responsible manner.

[KillerB]

in this case, the studies don't agree with the statistics. The studies have all shown it's the act of talking on the phone that causes the issue, whether it's hands-free or hand-held. People literally space out regardless of where the phone is. I gotta believe the statistics shown don't have enough resolution - eg they don't account for driver behavior. Maybe people who statistically use hands free devices are also statistically better drivers - that would certainly make sense to me. The article is clearly more focused on nutshell truths than the whole picture. Whatevs. Don't drive whilst fucking about, we all know that.

I can see that, I've totally blown past an exit while talking on hands-free Bluetooth.

[GreatScawt]

That has definitely happened a few times with sales reps calling in from the road.