Driving and Hands-Free
Talking Lead to Spike in Errors
Talking
on a hands-free device while behind the wheel can lead to a sharp increase in
errors that could imperil other drivers on the road, according to new research
from the University of Alberta.
A
pilot study by Yagesh Bhambhani, a professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation
Medicine, and his graduate student Mayank Rehani, showed that drivers who talk
using a hands-free cellular device made significantly more driving errors --
such as crossing the centre line, speeding and changing lanes without
signalling -- compared with just driving alone. The jump in errors also
corresponded with a spike in heart rate and brain activity.
"It is commonplace knowledge, but for some reason it is not getting into the public conscience that the safest thing to do while driving is to focus on the road," said Rehani, who completed the research for his master's thesis in rehabilitation science at the U of A.
The
researchers became interested in the topic in 2009 shortly after Alberta
introduced legislation that banned the use of handheld cellphones while driving
but not hands-free devices. In this study, they used near infrared spectroscopy
to study the brain activity of 26 participants who completed a driving course
using the Virage VS500M driving simulator at the Glenrose Rehabilitation
Hospital.
Near
infrared spectroscopy is a non-invasive optical technique that allows
researchers to examine real-time changes in brain activity in the left
prefrontal lobe. Participants were first tested in a control condition, using
the simulator to drive in city street conditions using no telecommunications
device. They were tested again while talking on a hands-free device during
two-minute conversations that avoided emotionally charged topics.
The
research team found there was a significant increase in brain activity while
talking on a hands-free device compared with the control condition. A majority
of participants showed a significant increase in oxyhemoglobin in the brain,
with a simultaneous drop in deoxyhemoglobin -- a sign of enhanced neuronal
activation during hands-free telecommunication.
"The
findings also indicated that blood flow to the brain is significantly increased
during hands-free telecommunication in order to meet the oxygen demands of the
neurons under the 'distracted' condition," said Bhambhani.
He
added the results did not reveal a significant relationship between enhanced
neuronal activation and the increase in the number of driving errors, most
likely because the near infrared spectroscopy measurements were recorded from a
single site, the prefrontal lobe.
The
findings are considered novel on a topic that is receiving considerable
attention by policy-makers globally. Rehani's contribution to the project
earned him the 2013 Alberta Rehabilitation Award for Innovation in
Rehabilitation (Student).
The
researchers note this is a preliminary study and hope that it can be part of a
larger body of literature that can help inform policy-makers about the safety
implications of using hands-free devices while driving.
For
Rehani, the work was part of rewarding academic journey at the U of A, which
gave him opportunities to do research in a number of areas in neuroscience.
He
said he received outstanding support from both the faculty and colleagues at
the Glenrose -- including Quentin Ranson, the occupational therapist and
rehabilitation technology lead who helped facilitate the simulator research.
"To
have a Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, which is the only free-standing
faculty of its kind in Western Canada, and to have a hospital like the Glenrose
dedicated to rehabilitation, is amazing," he said. "Both workplaces
have such a collegial environment, with quality faculty and staff who are both
working toward patient betterment. These institutions connect so well, it's
fantastic."
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University of Alberta (2013, May 24). Driving and hands-free
talking lead to spike in errors. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 25, 2013,
from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130524160745.htm
