I learned a lot from the discussion, and while I am not one to use my phone and drive at the same time, I have told my roommate what I learned in hopes that she will tell her boyfriend, who uses the phone excessively while driving.
I learned that all multi-tasking really is, is switching back and forth between tasks. This takes anywhere from a half a second to a second or more, depending on the complexity of the task. In a situation where a second means life instead of death, that one second is priceless. Many people think that sending a text will just take a second, and they will be fine, and that may be the case for them. However, it only takes one second for something to happen while your attention is off the road. The story told about the boy who was texting while driving and swerved and hit a cab, killing a husband and wife really struck a not with me. It made me think, “What if this happens to someone dear to me?”
It is not just about texting, either. It is also about talking on the phone, whether it is hands-free or not. Talking to someone who is not physically with you takes a lot more attention than someone who is in the seat next to you. Even though hands-free devices allow you to have both hands on the wheel, it takes your attention off the task at hand, which should be driving. The studies show that while talking on the phone is not as attention demanding as texting, it is still not safe to do while driving.
In addition to using cell phones, there are other vices people have while at the wheel. Eating, applying make-up, and changing the radio station, among other things, all take attention away from the road. Although these tasks seem like they require little attention, they still take away from your driving.
I am a fairly new driver, so I need all the attention I can get. That is why I do not text or talk on the phone while driving. I did once, when I got lost on the way to an appointment. After that, I never did again. I never attempt to eat either. I know for sure I couldn’t do that. To tell you the truth, I do not know how people do it. I even see people take off sweatshirts while driving. People need to think about where their attention is and where it needs to be.
