Perceptual and attentional effects on drivers' speed selection at curves.
Charlton SG. · 2004
View Original AbstractCell phone conversations measurably impair drivers' attention and reaction times, creating cognitive interference that compromises safety-critical decision making.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested how cell phone use affects drivers' ability to respond to curve warnings on roads using a driving simulator. They found that talking on a cell phone made drivers less responsive to road hazards - they drove faster and had slower reaction times, especially on less dangerous curves. This shows that cell phone conversations create measurable cognitive interference that compromises driving safety.
Why This Matters
This driving simulator study provides clear evidence that cell phone use creates measurable cognitive interference that compromises safety-critical tasks. While the focus here is on driving performance rather than biological health effects, the findings demonstrate how wireless device use can impair attention and reaction times in real-world scenarios. The research shows that even hands-free phone conversations create sufficient cognitive load to interfere with hazard perception and response. What this means for you: the cognitive effects of cell phone use extend beyond the direct biological impacts of EMF exposure. The combination of EMF exposure to the brain during phone calls plus the demonstrated cognitive interference creates a double burden that affects both your health and safety.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This paper describes an experiment comparing the relative effectiveness of various types of warnings on drivers' speed selection at curves.
The experiment compared three types of curve warnings across three different curve types in a drivin...
All of the warnings worked reasonably well for severe curves (45 km/h), regardless of demands from a...
The cell phone task added to driver workload and drivers became less responsive to primary task demands (i.e., speeds were elevated and reaction times were longer).
Show BibTeX
@article{sg._2004_perceptual_and_attentional_effects_1968,
author = {Charlton SG.},
title = {Perceptual and attentional effects on drivers' speed selection at curves.},
year = {2004},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15203365/},
}