The effect of cell phone type on drivers subjective workload during concurrent driving and conversing
Matthews R, Legg S, Charlton S · 2003
View Original AbstractAll cell phone types significantly increased cognitive workload while driving, with hands-free speaker phones causing the most mental interference.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested how different types of cell phones affected driving performance by measuring cognitive workload in 13 drivers on rural highways. They found that all phone types significantly increased mental demands compared to driving without a phone, but personal hands-free devices caused the least interference. The study revealed that hands-free speaker phones actually created the highest workload and frustration levels, challenging the common assumption that hands-free always means safer.
Why This Matters
This study highlights a crucial but often overlooked aspect of cell phone safety research - the cognitive burden these devices place on our brains during complex tasks like driving. While much EMF research focuses on biological effects from radiation exposure, this work demonstrates measurable impacts on brain function during actual device use. The finding that hands-free speaker phones created more cognitive interference than personal earpieces reveals how device design affects our mental processing capacity. What this means for you: the conversation itself, not just holding the phone, creates significant cognitive demand. The science demonstrates that even 'safer' hands-free options still substantially increase mental workload compared to no phone use at all.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To study the effect of cell phone type on drivers subjective workload during concurrent driving and conversing.
The effect of three types of cell phones (hand held, hands free with an external speaker and persona...
The drivers rated all components of workload for each type of cell phone to be significantly higher ...
It is concluded that a personal hands free cell phone would interfere least with the cognitive demands of driving.
Show BibTeX
@article{r_2003_the_effect_of_cell_2417,
author = {Matthews R and Legg S and Charlton S},
title = {The effect of cell phone type on drivers subjective workload during concurrent driving and conversing},
year = {2003},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12729809/},
}