It's better to listen to audiobooks than talk on the phone while driving. Even via hands-free

This was reported by the Telegram channel "Cybulinka" with reference to a recent study by Japanese scientists.

The experiment showed that the need to answer questions aloud significantly reduces a person's ability to react to visual stimuli. The results once again cast doubt on the safety of any phone conversations while driving.

What was the essence of the experiment?

30 people participated in the study. They were asked to perform a simple visual task under three different conditions: in silence, while listening to audio, and during a conversation.

The task was as follows: to shift their gaze as quickly as possible from the center of the screen to a red dot that appeared in random locations. Eye movements were recorded at a frequency of 60 frames per second.

During the "conversation" phase, researchers asked participants questions. Some related to facts (e.g., naming country capitals), while others required recalling memories (what the person ate for breakfast or what they wore yesterday).

Shocking figures

Analysis showed a colossal difference between listening and speaking. Scientists divided eye movement into three phases: the start of movement, the shift of gaze, and its stabilization on the object. All indicators worsened during conversation.

While the gaze movement to the target itself took about 260 milliseconds during a conversation (compared to 142–161 ms when listening to audio), the stabilization figures turned out to be astounding.

To focus their gaze on the spot, participants during an active conversation needed on average more than a second. Those who simply listened to a podcast needed less than half a second for this.

At the same time, the indicators of the group that simply listened to audio hardly differed from those who performed the task in complete silence.

Why this happens

The authors of the study explain this by how the brain allocates resources. Listening is passive information processing. However, dialogue requires a complex algorithm: searching for information in memory, planning a response, coordinating the speech apparatus. These processes begin to "compete" with the systems responsible for rapid eye movements.

What is the main danger?

Although the tests were conducted in a laboratory, the conclusions have direct relevance to road safety, as 90% of information is received by the driver through sight.

Of particular concern is the fact that the "conversational" group showed the worst results when the target appeared at the bottom of the screen. It is in the lower visual field that drivers usually encounter children, animals, potholes, and road markings.

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