Why is Cell phone use & Driving a Dangerous Combination

Bottlenecks in information processing can have important practical implica- tions. A study by the Harvard Center for risk Analysis (Cohen & Graham, 2003) estimates that cell phone distraction results in 2,600 deaths, 330,000 injuries, and 1.5 million instances of property damage in the united states each year. strayer and drews (2007) review the evidence that people are more likely to miss traffic lights and other critical informa- tion while talking on a cell phone. moreover, these problems are not any better with hands-free phones. In contrast, listening to a radio or books on tape does not interfere with driv- ing. strayer and drews suggest that the demands of participating in a conversation place more require- ments on central cognition. When someone says something on the cell phone, they expect an answer and are unaware of the current driving conditions. strayer and drews note that participating in a conversation with a passenger in the car is not as distracting because the passenger will adjust the conversation to driv- ing demands and even point out potential dangers to the driver.