Driving impairs talking

Abstract

It is well known that conversation (e.g., on a cell phone) impairs driving. We demonstrate that the reverse is also true: Language production and comprehension, and the encoding of the products of comprehension into memory, are less accurate when one is driving. Ninety-six pairs of drivers and conversation partners engaged in a story-retelling task in a driving simulator. Half of the pairs were older adults. Each pair completed one dual-task block (driving during the retelling task) and two single-task control blocks. The results showed a decline in the accuracy of the drivers' storytelling and of their memory for stories that were told to them by their nondriving partners. Speech production suffered an additional cost when the difficulty of driving increased. Measures of driving performance suggested that the drivers gave priority to the driving task when they were conversing. As a result, their linguistic performance suffered.

Texting while driving: Is speech-based text entry less risky than handheld text entry?

“…The standard deviation of speed did not differ between the drive + verbal and drive + manual conditions, t(34) = 0.15, p = 0.89. The intermittent texting tasks increased the standard deviation of speed by about 0.29 mph, a distraction effect comparable to other distraction tasks (Becic et al, 2010;Kubose et al, 2006). For example, a story-retelling task increased the standard deviation of speed by about 0.36 mph (Becic et al, 2010).…”

A Strategically Timed Verbal Task Improves Performance and Neurophysiological Alertness During Fatiguing Drives

“…Stoffregen, Pagulayan, Bardy, & Hettinger (2000) report finding a similar effect of a secondary task on postural stability. Becic et al (2010) suggest that the stability of lateral control may relfect the relatively insensitivity of the driver to updating visual information, rather than improved performance. Cooper, Medeiros-Ward and Strayer (in press) reach a similar conclusion and dissociate the effect from changes in gaze.…”

A shared cortical bottleneck underlying Attentional Blink and Psychological Refractory Period

“…For example, speaking on the phone alters driving performance and vice versa (Becic et al, 2010;Levy et al, 2006). Recent studies on dual tasks suggest that multiple stimuli can be processed in parallel at a sensory level, but that conscious access and/or response selection to these stimuli are strictly serial (Marti et al, 2010;Pashler, 1994;Pashler and Johnston, 1989;Sigman and Dehaene, 2005.…”