Texting as Detrimental to Driving As Alcohol
There is a wide body of research that has compared the effect that texting while driving has on a person’s driving abilities, with the effect that alcohol does. Yet another study proves such an association, and finds that using cell phones while driving may be just as detrimental to a driver’s skills as alcohol use.
What Los Angeles car accident lawyers find intriguing about this study is that it finds a similar effect from both texting while driving as well as the use of hands-free sets while driving. California currently has a ban on the use of handheld phones while driving, although drivers are free to use a hands-free set to have a cell phone conversation at the wheel. The study however proves that both texting as well as the use of hands-free sets is equally detrimental to driving, and the effects of such practices are equivalent to intoxicated driving.
The study was based on a small sample of 12 students, who were made to undergo to 2 driving simulation tests. The first test was undertaken after having a few alcoholic beverages, and the students underwent the 2nd test while using a hands-free cell phone.
The participants were given the task of maintaining the position of the car in the center of the left lane, at a constant speed of between 40 and 50 mph. The researchers found that when the participants were having a simple conversation on the hands-free set however, their level of distraction was equivalent to an alcohol level of approximately .4 g per liter. When they were having a phone conversation that required a lot of attention, their level of distraction was equivalent to a blood-alcohol level of 0.7 g per liter.
