COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEADAbout 1 out of every 4 motor vehicle crashes
involves cell phone use.* Cell phone use
while driving isn’t only a visual and manual
distraction, but a cognitive distraction—taking
your mind off driving—as well. Many drivers
mistakenly believe hands-free cell phones are
safer than handheld. However, hands-free
cell phones do not eliminate cognitive
distraction. Hands-free devices offer NO SAFETY
BENEFITS.
DRIVERS TALKING ON HANDS-FREE AND HANDHELD
CELL PHONES ACCOUNTED FOR
1.1 MILLION CRASHES
IN 2010. source: National Safety Council
UNDERSTANDINGTHE DISTRACTED
BRAINHuman brains are unable to effectively
perform two cognitively complex tasks at
the same time, such as driving and talking on
a cell phone. A Carnegie Mellon University
study produced fMRI pictures of the brain
while study participants drove using a
simulator and listened to spoken sentences
they were asked to judge as true or false.
The pictures below show listening to
sentences on cell phones decreased activity
in the brain’s parietal lobe by 37%. Drivers
use this area of the brain for navigation
and visual tracking of movement.
Drivers talking on cell phones can fail to see up to 50% of the information
in their driving environment.source: Dr. David Strayer, Director of the Center for the Prevention of Distracted Driving
Functional magnetic resonance imaging pictures.
Driving alone Driving with sentence listening
L R L R
sour
ce:
Carn
egie
Mello
n Univ
ersit
y
Drivers talking on cell phones
are more likely to make driving
errors than drivers talking
with passengers. Why? Adult
passengers often actively help
drivers by monitoring and
discussing traffic, whereas
a person on the phone cannot
see the roadway and adjust
the conversation as needed.
READ THE NATIONAL
SAFETY COUNCIL WHITE
PAPER, “UNDERSTANDING
THE DISTRACTED BRAIN:
WHY DRIVING WHILE USING
HANDS-FREE CELL PHONES
IS RISKY BEHAVIOR,”
AT thebrain.nsc.org.
MULTITASKING
The four lobes of the brain.
Drivers distracted by cell phone
conversations not only have slower
reaction times, but also are
less likely to see:
• Exits, red lights and stop signs
• Navigational signs
• Other drivers’ actions
• Pedestrians and cyclists
IMPAIRS PERFORMANCE
sour
ce: N
ation
al Ins
titut
es of
Hea
lth
The National Safety Council recommends businesses ban cell phone use while driving among employees.
Visit us at ourdrivingconcern.nsc.org for more FREE resources and information on what you can do to encourage your employees to drive safely.
Danger:Drivers often believe
their own crash risk is lower than other
drivers.
Lack of awareness about the risks of
hands-free devices, conversations and
cognitive distraction could prolong change
to safer driving. Widespread education about
the dangers of talking on a cell phone while
driving is critical. Get involved today by
implementing and supporting:
• Corporate cell phone bans
• Public education
• Distracted driving legislation
• High-visibility law enforcement
• Safe driving technology
E L I M I N AT I N GDRIVER DISTRACTIONS
Although 87% of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
survey respondents said drivers talking on cell phones are a somewhat or very serious threat to their personal safety, nearly 70%
admitted talking on a cell phone in the last 30 days.
* Kolos
h, K.
Summ
ary o
f Esti
mate
Mode
l. (20
09).
Natio
nal S
afety
Coun
cil.
sour
ces:
Carn
egie
Mello
n Univ
ersit
y, Ce
nter
of th
e Pre
vent
ion of
Dist
racte
d Driv
ing, N
ation
al Sa
fety C
ounc
il and
Tran
spor
t Can
ada,
Natio
nal H
ighwa
y Tra
ffic S
afety
Admi
nistra
tion,
Traffi
c Safe
ty Fa
cts 20
08 da
ta.
developed with funding from the texas department of transportation.
0412 000083100 ©2012 national safety council