The Effect of Hands Free - Cell Phone Conversation on Visual Fields

摘要或動機

It is a known fact that using a cell phone while driving can lead to reckless driving. According to research done by the World Health Organisation (2011) thousands of car accidents occur worldwide, each day, due to cell phone use whilst driving. Many of these car accidents result in serious injury or death of drivers, passengers or pedestrians. According to the Automobile Association (2012), cell phones are the number one cause of traffic accidents in South Africa. The high rate of car accidents due to cell phone use has led to legislation being passed, in most countries, banning hand-held cell phone use while driving. Hands-free phone equipment is not prohibited as it is widely regarded as a safe means of making and taking a phone call while behind the wheel. The purpose of this study was to show that the act of talking on a cell phone and not the method of talking (hand-held versus hands-free) increases accident probability. This study used a Friedman Visual field analyser which measures subject’s visual fields with and without engaging in hands-free cellular conversation. The results showed a significant constriction of the visual fields when subjects were conversing on a cell phone. These results were and can be explained by the fact that the test subject experiences cognitive distraction. Cognitive distraction occurs because the driver has to divide his/her attention between the cell phone conversation and the tasks relating to driving. These results have significant ramifications for road safety in a driving environment.