Think! - can you do two things at once?
Discussion
While at the gym yesterday I noticed the new Think! infomercial warning against the dangers of mobile phone use while driving.
Now; as I didn't have to stop pedalling, nor stop wiping the sweat off my brow, as I read and listened to the messages at the same time, I have to wonder. Why is it so hard to do two things at once?
Having thought a while, a more subtle flaw in the reasoning behind the informercial became apparent. The two tasks being protrayed, listening and reading, are both linguistic skills. They both engage the same part of the brain - and even then it is possible to do both at once. Yet using a mobile while driving is engaging two distinct brain centres, one for linguistic skills (having a conversation) and one for spatial skills (driving).
It is simply not true that you cannot do something else while having a conversation.
Discuss!
Now; as I didn't have to stop pedalling, nor stop wiping the sweat off my brow, as I read and listened to the messages at the same time, I have to wonder. Why is it so hard to do two things at once?
Having thought a while, a more subtle flaw in the reasoning behind the informercial became apparent. The two tasks being protrayed, listening and reading, are both linguistic skills. They both engage the same part of the brain - and even then it is possible to do both at once. Yet using a mobile while driving is engaging two distinct brain centres, one for linguistic skills (having a conversation) and one for spatial skills (driving).
It is simply not true that you cannot do something else while having a conversation.
Discuss!
I remember after doing the brief bit of advanced driver training that I've had, I even found the radio distracting.
The point is that your average numpty doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing with his brain when he's not on the phone so doesn't understand the dangers (not including you Victor, or am I?
)
The point is that your average numpty doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing with his brain when he's not on the phone so doesn't understand the dangers (not including you Victor, or am I?
)I'll say it again, just for good measure , think about what you should be using your brain for when you're driving. If you've not been trained to use it effectively you're probably cruising along thinking about nothing. If you were using it for hazard awareness then you'd actually be quite busy.
, think about what you should be using your brain for when you're driving. If you've not been trained to use it effectively you're probably cruising along thinking about nothing. If you were using it for hazard awareness then you'd actually be quite busy.quote:Maybe its a matter of degree. In normal driving the radio wouldn't bother me, but when I happen on a challenging bit of road in the TVR the radio goes off before the hammer goes down!
I remember after doing the brief bit of advanced driver training that I've had, I even found the radio distracting.
I don't think that degree of concentration is required for normal driving, realistically. The majority would not be capable of it.
>> Edited by VictorMeldrew on Tuesday 10th September 11:16
Occasionally when teaching advanced driving techniques, I ask the student to give me a commentary of what they are seeing so that I am aware of which bits they are missing and how far ahead they are looking.
Would it surprise you to find out that there is normally a fair degree of silence as they cannot talk about what they are supposed to be doing.
It is quite a difficult skill to master. How then as Ted quite rightly says can you expect someone to do two completely different unrelated tasks with competancy when most people cant talk aloud about what they are actually supposed to be doing when driving?
Would it surprise you to find out that there is normally a fair degree of silence as they cannot talk about what they are supposed to be doing.
It is quite a difficult skill to master. How then as Ted quite rightly says can you expect someone to do two completely different unrelated tasks with competancy when most people cant talk aloud about what they are actually supposed to be doing when driving?
Agree with most of the comment on this thread.
I can drive home from my office here without really thinking about anything at all, or even concentrating on the traffic cos there isn't much at all. Tskes five minutes of emptyheadedness.
But if I am driving in London I find I'm so much more alert and 'zoned' (so to speak), it's unreal and I don't even notice the kids fighting in the back seats.
Drove in the dark (in a rush) in LA once trying to find the airport late at night. A mixture of adrenalin, sweat, concentration, dehydration and mucho relief once the bugger was located.
I can drive home from my office here without really thinking about anything at all, or even concentrating on the traffic cos there isn't much at all. Tskes five minutes of emptyheadedness.
But if I am driving in London I find I'm so much more alert and 'zoned' (so to speak), it's unreal and I don't even notice the kids fighting in the back seats.
Drove in the dark (in a rush) in LA once trying to find the airport late at night. A mixture of adrenalin, sweat, concentration, dehydration and mucho relief once the bugger was located.
quote:
Playing devil's advocate a bit - whether you know a road or not shouldn't result in a different driving style.
I'm pretty sure that everyone on this site has done the trip to work or some such on "autopilot" and got there without being able to remember the trip. You do tend to treat "known roads" differently, and you're right that you shouldn't. This probably leads to the statistic that a large percentage of road accidents occur within two miles of your home, probably an extension of familiarity breeds contempt.
quote:
It depends greatly on someone's brain power and concentration capacity I suppose. If you average it out then numpty drivers seem to far outweigh better drivers on the roads, therefore a numpty with a phone stuck to their head is a very dangerous thing indeed
Absolutely. You've only got to watch numpties making mobile phone calls whilst walking down the street. Talk about Brownian motion - they slow down/stop/change direction/bump into people randomly. If they can't talk and walk, they sure as hell can't talk and drive, hands-free or not.
That said, some of us are perfectly capable of multi-tasking, so blanket "lowest common denominator" legislation to ban mobile phone use while driving seems OTT to me. Better to ban non-hands-free mobiles and let the police use their discretion in other cases IMO.
quote:
Madcop - When someone phones me in my car (I never dial out when driving!!!), first thing I tell them is "I am in the car" then whilst talking to them (assuming it's not a customer) I usually talk through whats happening on the road around me with them (where I am, which lane I'm in, which gear, where the other cars are, what they are doing, what I am going to do next etc etc...), bores them stupid but then they will call when I'm driving - All hands free of course!
mungo,
Well, I can only say that you are exceptional or have had a lot of practice. I bet you dont sell much if all you talk about is what you are doing then
The human brain is incredibly complex, and processes unbelievably large amount of data constantly. If you are aware of the hazards and are looking for them, it doesn't take that much conscious effort to do so. It is possible to converse while driving, and stop conversing when you perceive a hazard.
The problem is that many do not know the hazards, and almost certainly are not looking for them. So what difference does it make that they are deep in conversation? Will shutting up make them suddenly aware of their surroundings? Don't think so.
Maybe the infomercials are OK - the average numpty has so little awareness of what he is actually doing that the smallest degree of distraction really does pose a serious hazard.
>> Edited by VictorMeldrew on Tuesday 10th September 11:41
The problem is that many do not know the hazards, and almost certainly are not looking for them. So what difference does it make that they are deep in conversation? Will shutting up make them suddenly aware of their surroundings? Don't think so.
Maybe the infomercials are OK - the average numpty has so little awareness of what he is actually doing that the smallest degree of distraction really does pose a serious hazard.
>> Edited by VictorMeldrew on Tuesday 10th September 11:41
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