The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that all 50 states ban personal electronic devices for drivers (even bluetooth or hands-free devices). The NTSB has no legislative power, but their recommendation is likely to be influential with lawmakers. Medical scientists are strongly endorsing the recommendation, saying that cell phones are too distracting for the
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that all 50 states ban personal electronic devices for drivers (even bluetooth or hands-free devices). The NTSB has no legislative power, but their recommendation is likely to be influential with lawmakers. Medical scientists are strongly endorsing the recommendation, saying that cell phones are too distracting for the limited multitasking power of the human brain. Dr. Marcel Just, director of the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University, explains "Various parts of your brain are working on scanning the road ahead, maintaining your speed, maintaining your lane — all of those things are being done even when it feels like it's not… Obviously, we can do two things at the same time. But the critical point is we can't do them as well at the same time." Just's research indicates that processing a conversation uses up 37%- a dangerous amount- of the energy that's normally allocated to driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported 3,091 people killed in 2010 as a result of distracted driving.
MSNBC.com, 12/13/2011
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