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Behavioural effects of mobile telephone use during simulated driving

Briem, Valdimar LU and Hedman, Leif (1995) In Ergonomics 38(12). p.2536-2562
Abstract
The effects on driving performance of using a hands-free, mobile telephone were investigated in a pursuit-tracking task that simulated driving. Twenty subjects in two age groups, 19-26 years (median = 21 years) and 40-51 years (median 45·5 years), participated, with five males and five females in each group. The primary task was driving safely. The subjects drove for 20 min in each of three secondary task blocks with (i) a simple telephone conversation about a familiar topic, (ii) a difficult telephone conversation, incorporating a test of working memory, and (iii) car radio tuning and listening. Half of the driving was done on a simulated firm road surface and half on a slippery road surface. The subjects behaviour was subsequently... (More)
The effects on driving performance of using a hands-free, mobile telephone were investigated in a pursuit-tracking task that simulated driving. Twenty subjects in two age groups, 19-26 years (median = 21 years) and 40-51 years (median 45·5 years), participated, with five males and five females in each group. The primary task was driving safely. The subjects drove for 20 min in each of three secondary task blocks with (i) a simple telephone conversation about a familiar topic, (ii) a difficult telephone conversation, incorporating a test of working memory, and (iii) car radio tuning and listening. Half of the driving was done on a simulated firm road surface and half on a slippery road surface. The subjects behaviour was subsequently observed and classified in four activity categories, two without and two with a secondary task, with driving (i) on a clear road, and (ii) with obstacles, and with driving involving the secondary task components of (iii) communication, and (iv) instrument manipulation. The results show different patterns of driving performance on the two road surfaces. For driving on the slippery road, a deterioration was especially marked during manipulation of the instruments, in particular the radio, which required more prolonged manipulation than the hands-free telephone. Driving during an easy telephone conversation was associated with the least performance decrement, and could, in some cases, be seen as facilitatory. The female subjects tended to perform less well than the male subjects while driving on a slippery road. Some of this difference could be attributed to less previous driving experience. In general, the male drivers exhibited better control while driving under difficult conditions. There was no difference in driving proficiency between the age groups. It is concluded that simply conversing over a hands-free telephone while driving does not in itself impair performance. However, a difficult conversation may affect the driving adversely, and any prolonged manipulation of the telephone is liable to produce a performance decrement, particularly under conditions that put heavy demands on the driver's attention and skill. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hands-free mobile telephones, Driving performance, Gender differences
in
Ergonomics
volume
38
issue
12
pages
2536 - 2562
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:0029595190
ISSN
0014-0139
DOI
10.1080/00140139508925285
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
88ae9d8d-cbbe-4765-970a-d9bf62c56e41 (old id 775943)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 07:04:04
date last changed
2021-08-08 04:01:52
@article{88ae9d8d-cbbe-4765-970a-d9bf62c56e41,
  abstract     = {{The effects on driving performance of using a hands-free, mobile telephone were investigated in a pursuit-tracking task that simulated driving. Twenty subjects in two age groups, 19-26 years (median = 21 years) and 40-51 years (median 45·5 years), participated, with five males and five females in each group. The primary task was driving safely. The subjects drove for 20 min in each of three secondary task blocks with (i) a simple telephone conversation about a familiar topic, (ii) a difficult telephone conversation, incorporating a test of working memory, and (iii) car radio tuning and listening. Half of the driving was done on a simulated firm road surface and half on a slippery road surface. The subjects behaviour was subsequently observed and classified in four activity categories, two without and two with a secondary task, with driving (i) on a clear road, and (ii) with obstacles, and with driving involving the secondary task components of (iii) communication, and (iv) instrument manipulation. The results show different patterns of driving performance on the two road surfaces. For driving on the slippery road, a deterioration was especially marked during manipulation of the instruments, in particular the radio, which required more prolonged manipulation than the hands-free telephone. Driving during an easy telephone conversation was associated with the least performance decrement, and could, in some cases, be seen as facilitatory. The female subjects tended to perform less well than the male subjects while driving on a slippery road. Some of this difference could be attributed to less previous driving experience. In general, the male drivers exhibited better control while driving under difficult conditions. There was no difference in driving proficiency between the age groups. It is concluded that simply conversing over a hands-free telephone while driving does not in itself impair performance. However, a difficult conversation may affect the driving adversely, and any prolonged manipulation of the telephone is liable to produce a performance decrement, particularly under conditions that put heavy demands on the driver's attention and skill.}},
  author       = {{Briem, Valdimar and Hedman, Leif}},
  issn         = {{0014-0139}},
  keywords     = {{Hands-free mobile telephones; Driving performance; Gender differences}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{2536--2562}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Ergonomics}},
  title        = {{Behavioural effects of mobile telephone use during simulated driving}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140139508925285}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00140139508925285}},
  volume       = {{38}},
  year         = {{1995}},
}