Study shows texting doubles driver reaction time
October 18, 2011
A recently published Texas Transportation Institute study indicated that driving while distracted by text messaging – reading or sending a message – doubles a driver’s reaction time. The study illustrates just how seriously texting while driving impacts everyone on the road.
During the study, drivers typed stories and answered questions on their smart phones while navigating a test-track course. A light was flashed periodically, and drivers’ reaction times in noticing the light were compared to reaction times when drivers navigated the course without texting.
Typical reaction times when drivers were not texting were between one and two seconds, but reaction times of texting drivers were at least three to four seconds. Texting drivers also were 11 times more likely to miss the flashing light entirely.
The researchers conducting the study said the dangers of texting distraction also apply to other reading and writing distractions, like reading email and checking Facebook while driving. In addition, they found that drivers distracted by texting were less capable of staying safely in the correct lane and less likely to maintain a constant speed.
This was the first texting-while-driving study to take place in actual driving conditions rather than using a simulator, so the findings carry extra weight. Federal statistics suggest that distracted driving plays a part in up to 20 percent of all fatal crashes, and that cellular phones are the primary source of driver distraction. You can read the full study here.
