Hands-free cellphones not solution to distracted driving
Washington's new law that permits police to stop drivers for the
sole reason of holding a cellphone does not solve the problem of
distracted driving. Guest columnists Daniel Simons and
Christopher Chabris argue it is the conversation that distracts
the brain, not the cellphone itself. Special to The Times BY now
we all should know that talking on a cellphone while driving is
dangerous, and that texting while driving is absurdly
distracting. A new Washington state law taking effect next
Thursday makes holding a phone while driving a primary offense.
Unfortunately, the law is unlikely to have much impact on
distracted driving because it is based on a common and
fundamental misunderstanding of how human perception works. Most
people believe the distracting effect of cellphones can be
eliminated by keeping your eyes on the road and by using a
hands-free phone. However, the dangers of driving while talking
on the phone come not from our hands or from our eye