Effects of processing code on driving safety during simulated mobile phone use

There is growing concern regarding the use of mobile communication devices while driving. Contemporary research indicates that there is indeed a negative impact on driver performance resulting from mobile phone use even among users of "hands-free" sets. Multiple resource theory is a common model for understanding human performance in multi-task domains and provides a framework for evaluating multi-task scenarios. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of conversation processing codes upon driving performance. The potential conflict of conversations that require processing of visual information with the fundamental elements of the driving task was of primary interest. Thirty-two male and female participants of varying experience levels interacted with a PC driving simulation while engaging in a simulated hands-free phone conversation. The results indicate that driving performance while talking was significantly worse, and also that conversations requiring visuo-spatial processing caused the greatest interference with the driving task.