Hands-free phones allow drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road so they must be safer, right? Wrong! It\u2019s a common misconception that making a hands-free phone call while driving is safer than making a hand-held phone call. And it\u2019s all because of the cognitive – or mental – distraction involved in a phone conversation.<\/p>\n
Here are five myths dispelled about hands-free phone use versus hand-held phone use while driving.<\/p>\n
1. Hands-free phone calls are safer than hand-held phone calls<\/b> 2. When I use a hands-free phone my driving ability is not impaired <\/b> 3. If hands-free phone calls are so distracting, this must mean that talking to passengers has the same effect<\/strong> 4. I\u2019m good at multitasking so can easily talk on hands-free while driving<\/strong> 5. Making hands-free calls at work helps to avoid wasted time and build customer relations <\/strong>
\nIn terms of level of distraction, using a hands-free phone is virtually no different to using a hand-held phone<\/a>. That\u2019s because it\u2019s the brain that\u2019s the problem, not the hands. Multiple research studies have shown that both hands-free and hand-held phone calls are a significant distraction while driving.<\/p>\n
\nBecause it\u2019s your brain that\u2019s distracted, not your hands, any phone use while driving can impact on all kinds of mental tasks required to drive safely including scanning, concentration and decision making. It can also cause you to focus on a smaller area of the road ahead and fail to see hazards<\/a>, even when you\u2019re looking directly at them!<\/p>\n
\nThere are significant differences between having an in-car conversation and having a conversation with someone on a mobile phone. When you\u2019re talking to a passenger, that passenger is aware of what is happening in the road environment around your vehicle and is likely to pause conversation when required. A caller on the other end of a phone has no idea what\u2019s going on around you and will keep chatting regardless of the on-road decisions you are faced with!<\/p>\n
\nResearch shows that people don\u2019t multitask, they task switch<\/a>. This task switching can occur so rapidly it feels like you are multitasking, but you\u2019re not. Every time you task switch, there is a small cost to re-engage with the new task and get back into the workflow of that task.<\/p>\n
\nThe opposite is true here. An employee using just half their brain while having a phone conversation is not a productive employee. And a distracted conversation with a customer does not give a good impression; customers deserve your full attention. The best advice is to set up voicemail or automatic texts that let incoming callers know you\u2019re driving and that you will call them back when it\u2019s safe to do so, when you can give them your undivided attention.<\/p>\n