• 28
  • October
    2011

A study conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute of Texas A&M University found that the reaction time of drivers doubled when they were texting, emailing, checking social network updates and engaging in activity while driving. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, up to 20 percent of fatal car accidents are caused by distracted drivers.

The study used real cars on an 11-mile course that had no hills, pedestrians, or other vehicles. 42 participants, ages 16 to 54, navigated the course the first time while performing Internet-based activities, and a second time without the distractions.

The reaction time of those who were not performing Internet-based activities was one to two seconds. The reaction time doubled to three to four seconds for those who were either reading or composing a message, suggesting that reading a message is just as dangerous as writing one.

At one point in the test, the drivers had to stop at a flashing yellow light. The study found that texting drivers were 11 times more susceptible to running the light.

In a previous study, a simulator was used instead of real vehicles. That data indicated that drivers without distractions reacted in under a second, and that texting drivers responded in one to two seconds. The more recent Texas A&M study uses a more realistic methodology.

There were several "close calls" during the study. Had the drivers actually been on a busy interstate, participants would have veered into other lanes. The three to four second reaction time means a distracted driver on the interstate can travel an entire football field without even looking at the road.

Source: Reuters, "Texting while driving more dangerous than thought: study," Jim Forsyth, Oct. 5, 2011