Calls to ban mobile phone use while driving may be premature, according to research findings released by Lincoln University.
In a joint study carried out with Bentley College in the United States, researchers concluded that proper training might lessen the negative effects on driver performance associated with mobile phone use.
The study, Cellular Telephones and Driving Performance: The Effects of Attentional Demands on Motor Vehicle Crash Risk, is based on an experiment in which drivers with and without communication training completed a simulated city driving course, while involved in one of three conversation modes: no conversation, conversation with a seated passenger, and conversation on a hands-free cellular telephone.
The study was co-authored by Professor Jacob M. Rose of Lincoln University and United States Bentley College Professor James E. Hunton.
"We concluded that it was the conversation, not the technology that was to blame, and because of this, we can teach people how better to deal with conversation while driving - it is something that can be learned," says Professor Rose.
"The difference between our research and that of so many other papers being produced, is that instead of looking at the direct consequences, we were looking at how we could lessen these," he says.
"Sometimes prohibition isn't the best option. Instead of saying 'talking on a mobile phone is dangerous and should be banned', we have said, 'there are some benefits of cell phone use, so let's look at how we can lessen the danger'."
The researchers chose airline pilots as the perfect 'trained' study participants, since they safely fly aeroplanes while 'physically' talking to crew members and 'virtually' conversing over the radio with air traffic controllers behaviour the authors believe is similar to talking with a passenger and on a cell phone while driving.
A total of 56 pilots and 55 non-pilots participated in the study.
The findings include:
When not involved in a conversation, the driving performance of pilot-drivers and non-pilot-drivers was equivalent.
When conversing with a seated passenger, the performance of pilot-drivers was superior to non-pilot-drivers.
When talking on a cell phone, the performance of pilot-drivers deteriorated slightly, but the performance of non-pilot-drivers dropped sharply.
"Control conditions of the experiment rule out the idea that pilots are innately better drivers," says Professor Rose, "since the 'driving with no talking' control proved pilot and non-pilot drivers were equal. However, the study does not rule out the possibility that pilots are innately better at multitasking. Finding out if it's true or not - along with the efficiency of some sort of driver's education on how to handle cell phone conversations while driving - is the next logical step of the research".
Because cell phone conversations lack key non-verbal cues that are available during close-contact conversation, drivers expend significant 'imaginative' resources to compensate, the authors said. So, while the research results agree with previous studies that cell phone conversations consume a great deal of attention and produce considerable interference, it also concludes that drivers can learn to control the situation by learning to emphasise safe driving and making phone conversations a secondary priority.
"For some, using cell phones while driving is essential to their business activities," says Professor Rose. "Even if one's livelihood does not depend on cell phone use, some people still need to talk on their phones while driving. Rather than banning the use of cell phones and other technologies, perhaps we should learn how to safely incorporate them into our motor vehicles and driving habits."
The study findings suggest a possible alternative solution to an all-out ban on using cell phones behind the wheel: those who want to do so must receive driver education specifically aimed at learning effective techniques for and gaining valuable experience in talking on a cell phone while safely handling a moving vehicle. "This is a learned skill that can be effectively integrated into drivers' education," explains Professor Rose.
Full results of the study have been reported in the August issue of Risk Analysis.
Professor Rose is Professor of Accounting at Lincoln University. His research focuses on the effects of technology on judgment and decision-making. He has published psychology-based studies in a wide variety of academic journals and holds a PhD from Texas A&M University.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Jake Rose, Professor of Accounting
Director - Centre of Accounting Education and Research
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: 64 3 325 2811 ext 8304
Email: Jake Rose
or
Ian Collins, Journalist
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: 64 3 325 2811 ext 8549
Email: Ian Collins