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As sales of electronic devices continue to soar, so does the amount of time motorists spend driving outside the yellow highway lines.
Johnell Brooks of the psychology department operates the driving simulator. Text messaging and using iPods caused drivers to leave their lanes 10 percent more often in a simulated driving study conducted by researchers in the Clemson University psychology department. The study tested drivers’ ability to stay in their lanes on a curvy road while they completed such tasks as talking on cell phones, text messaging and operating MP3 players. Although their reaction time may have been reduced, there was no reduction in lane-keeping for drivers who talked on cell phones. But for those who looked away from the road to use electronics, the difference was significant, according to Johnell Brooks, assistant professor of psychology. “We already know drivers are distracted when talking on their cell phones,” Brooks said. “This research shows that using an iPod or text-messaging while driving is potentially more dangerous.” When text messaging, the drivers crossed the center line or left their lane roughly 10 percent more often. Recent trends show that the number of drivers who text message while driving is on the rise, making this is an important safety issue, said Brooks, who led a creative inquiry team that conducted the research. The project was a joint undertaking between the psychology and civil engineering departments. The findings will be presented in January at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C. Previous research showed that talking on a cell phone is dangerous. The Clemson team next will explore just how much more dangerous it is to send and receive text messages behind the wheel. Texting while driving is illegal in only one state, but six more are considering legislation to make it illegal, according to Brooks. (Images provided by Clemson.)
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