Driving and Using Cell Phone Study
There is some unusual new evidence showing the danger of driving while talking on a cell phone. It is common knowledge that a driver on their phone is distracted, but to what extent? Do they notice turn signals? Brake lights? …A clown on a unicycle?
Yes, a study in Western Washington University found that most students talking on a cell phone while walking were so distracted they did not notice a clown in bright purple and yellow clothes riding a unicycle nearby. In fact, a staggering 75 percent of students on their cell phones were completely oblivious to the clown and were surprised when surveyors pointed him out.
This creative example demonstrates why talking on a cell phone is particularly risky when driving. Two other scenarios—pairs of students talking and individuals listening to music—each saw better results than cell phone users. The author of the study commented, “a cell-phone conversation is just harder to maintain; it takes more effort; it's harder to understand the other person; it's harder to get the timing right. It's just a much more difficult task.”
This difficulty is what causes distractions and risks accidents. Arizona does not currently have a cell phone ban, but distracted driver laws are in effect in communities throughout the Phoenix area. And as this study colorfully illustrates, the distraction of cell phone use while driving put other drivers, pedestrians and even clowns at risk.
