Txtng whl drvng wrs than drvng stoned

Using a smartphone for social networking slowed the drivers reaction times by an average of 37.6 percent.

Using a smartphone for social networking slowed the drivers reaction times by an average of 37.6 percent.

Published Mar 2, 2012

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When respected bodies such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists and the UK's Transport Research Laboratory speak, drivers - and governments - listen.

So to hear these two august institutions come right out and say that sending SMS's (texting) while driving is more dangerous than driving while drunk or stoned on cannabis, drivers the world over should take note.

And this eyebrow-raising statement isn't just hot air or politicspeak; it's based on solid research. Never mind that the research was conducted in the UK, the figures for countries where the standard of driving is lower - such as ours - are likely to be even worse.

To start with, one in 12 UK drivers admits to using a smartphone for email and social networking while driving; among 17-24 year olds (already more at risk) that rises to one in four.

So what happens when they do?

The IAM and TRL used the TRL DigiCar driving simulator to examine the effects of young drivers using smartphones to access facebook - and in every case their performance was badly affected.

While sending and receiving facebook messages:

Their reaction times slowed by about 38 percent and they often completely missed key events

They were unable to stay in the centre of their lane, resulting in an increased number of unintentional lane changes.

They were unable to react quickly enough to the car in front gradually changing speed.

Then the researchers compared these results to previous studies of drivers who had been drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis.

They found that:

Using a smartphone for social networking slowed the drivers' reaction times by an average of 37.6 percent.

Texting slowed the drivers' reaction times by an average of 37.4 percent.

Conversation using a hands-free kit slowed the drivers' reaction times by an average of 26.5 percent.

Cannabis slowed the drivers' reaction times by an average of 21 percent.

Alcohol at the legal limit slowed the drivers' reaction times by an average of 12.5 percent.

DRIVER IS BLIND TO ONCOMING HAZARDS

TRL senior researcher Nick Reed said: “The results clearly show that driver behaviour was significantly and dramatically impaired when a smartphone was being used for social networking.

“Drivers spent more time looking at their phone than the road ahead when trying to send messages, which meant the driver was blind to emerging hazards and developing traffic situations.

“Even when hazards were detected, the driver's ability to respond was slowed, increasing substantially the risk of a crash that could affect not only the driver but also their passengers and other road users.”

IAM chief executive Simon Best agreed: “This research shows how incredibly dangerous using smartphones while driving is, yet it's a relatively common practice. If you're taking your hand off the wheel to use the phone, reading the phone display and thinking about your messages, then you're simply not concentrating on driving.

“Young people have grown up with smartphones and using them is part of everyday life - but we need to show them that they're risking their lives and the lives of others if they use their smartphones while driving.”

So what can we, as private citizens, do?

Put your phone in the boot when you drive - we are programmed to answer calls and read massages promptly.

If you see somebody driving with their head down, accept that they haven't seen you, and that they can't see where they are going, and drive accordingly.

If you catch your kids doing it, ground them.

Lobby local law enforcement to do just that: enforce the law.

While there is no basis in law for traffic officers to confiscate the phones of drivers caught using them while driving, as has recently been suggested by people who should know better (that's just plain theft!), legislation exists making it possible for them to impound the car.

Going through the schlep (and the cost) of getting your wheels back from the impound lot, just once, should be enough to put anybody off texting while driving for life.

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