According to a recent NPR Health story, multitasking while driving (ie, talking on a cell phone) is as dangerous as drunk driving. Do you agree?
NPR reports that "...the brain struggles with paying attention to signs and sounds simultaneously. When the brain starts working on a visual task, its auditory parts show decreased activity, and vice versa."
Think about this: when we are listening and talking on the cell phone (auditory) while driving, our driving becomes impaired (visual) and we are not able to process as many images in our brain, or process them as quickly. We all know that mere seconds are all that are needed to be involved in an accident.
"In fact, driver inattention is involved in about 80 percent of crashes, according to a 2006 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration."
Would you give up talking on your cell phone while driving, in order to avoid an accident?
You can read the full story here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95702512&ft=1&f=1066