The Hidden Dangers of Distraction: Does Conversation and Texts Slow Reactions on the Road
Start Date
April 2025
Location
2nd floor - Library
Abstract
Distracted driving is a critical factor impacting road safety due to impaired reaction times significantly increasing the likelihood of an accident occurring. This study investigated the effects of auditory distractions, specifically phone conversations and text tone alerts, on reaction times to detect hazards. Prior studies have indicated that distractions, such as engaging in phone conversations (Boboc et al., 2022) or extended secondary tasks (Gao & Davis, 2017), impair driving performance and increase reaction times. In the present study, participants were assigned to one of four video conditions: text tone and conversation, text tone only, conversation only, or no conversation and text tone. The video was a driving scene through the local neighborhood featuring a hazard approximately every two minutes, such as a pedestrian crossing the road. Results indicated that conversation and text tones did not affect reaction times to detect hazards. Contrary to expectations, participants in the conversation and text tone group did not have significantly increased reaction time compared to participants without conversation and text tones. These findings highlight the complexity of understanding distracted driving and the need for future research, such as using realistic driving simulations to assess the effect of distractions on hazard detection.
The Hidden Dangers of Distraction: Does Conversation and Texts Slow Reactions on the Road
2nd floor - Library
Distracted driving is a critical factor impacting road safety due to impaired reaction times significantly increasing the likelihood of an accident occurring. This study investigated the effects of auditory distractions, specifically phone conversations and text tone alerts, on reaction times to detect hazards. Prior studies have indicated that distractions, such as engaging in phone conversations (Boboc et al., 2022) or extended secondary tasks (Gao & Davis, 2017), impair driving performance and increase reaction times. In the present study, participants were assigned to one of four video conditions: text tone and conversation, text tone only, conversation only, or no conversation and text tone. The video was a driving scene through the local neighborhood featuring a hazard approximately every two minutes, such as a pedestrian crossing the road. Results indicated that conversation and text tones did not affect reaction times to detect hazards. Contrary to expectations, participants in the conversation and text tone group did not have significantly increased reaction time compared to participants without conversation and text tones. These findings highlight the complexity of understanding distracted driving and the need for future research, such as using realistic driving simulations to assess the effect of distractions on hazard detection.
