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Brain & Nervous System162 citations

The effect of cell phone type on drivers subjective workload during concurrent driving and conversing

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Matthews R, Legg S, Charlton S · 2003

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All cell phone types significantly increased cognitive workload while driving, with hands-free speaker phones causing the most mental interference.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

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.

Cite This Study
Matthews R, Legg S, Charlton S (2003). The effect of cell phone type on drivers subjective workload during concurrent driving and conversing Accid Anal Prev 35(4):451-457, 2003.
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/},
}
PubMed: 12729809

Cited By (162 papers)

View all 162 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, cell phone use while driving significantly increases cognitive workload and mental demands. A 2003 study found all phone types created measurably higher brain strain compared to driving without a phone, affecting drivers' mental processing abilities.
Not all hands-free phones are equally safe. Research shows personal hands-free devices cause the least cognitive interference, but hands-free speaker phones actually created the highest mental workload and frustration levels among drivers tested.
Cell phones increase cognitive demands while driving, though this study measured mental workload rather than direct radiation effects. All phone types significantly impaired drivers' mental processing, with speaker phones causing the most interference.
Personal hands-free cell phones cause the least cognitive interference while driving. A highway driving study found these devices had the lowest mental workload scores and highest speech clarity compared to other phone types.
Yes, cell phone use significantly increases mental strain and cognitive workload while driving. Research measuring 13 drivers found all phone types created substantially higher mental demands compared to driving without any phone conversation.