Driving on phone more dangerous than talking to passengers

Do you talk on the phone while you drive? We’ve touched on this topic plenty of times on Prepaid Reviews, always coming down on the side of safety. Hey, I’m a former handset-to-the-ear-while-driving guy, and I only stopped after a near-accident. I got lucky. Many do not. Some have argued that it’s no different than talking to a passenger. A recent survey, though, claims that driving while on a phone is more dangerous than talking to a passenger.

Even when drivers used a hands-free cell phone, driving performance was significantly compromised. “Cell phone and passenger conversation differ in their impact on a driver’s performance; these differences are apparent at the operational, tactical, and strategic levels of performance,” the researchers wrote.
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Drivers used a sophisticated simulator that presented a 24-mile multilane highway with on- and off-ramps, overpasses and two-lane traffic in each direction. Participants drove under an irregular-flow condition that mimics real highway conditions — with other vehicles, in compliance with traffic laws, changing lanes and speeds. This context required “drivers” to pay attention to surrounding traffic.

The results were that people on cell phones drove more poorly than those talking to passengers. There are a few guesses as to the explanation, but nothing seems concrete. My best guess: When you’re on the phone with someone, you’re talking to them with a purpose. When someone sits next to you, they’re just there. It’s active vs. passive. I could be wrong, of course, but I think it follows intuitively.

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