November 01, 2012 (Press-News.org) A study recently published in the trade journal "Computers in Human Behavior" indicates that multi-tasking in any form causes a significant decrease in performance of both visual and audio tasks. The research, led by Zheng Wang, Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University School of Communication, shows that performing more than one visual or audio task at a time causes a marked decrease in each of these skills.
This has obvious real-world implications. Many people think that having a chat on their cellphone while behind the wheel is a good way to pass the time. They assume that they can both fully engage in a conversation with their boss/husband/co-worker/best friend and safely drive a vehicle. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
Wang's research, recently published in the trade journal "Computers in Human Behavior," shows that people who concentrated on a single visual-based task completed that task with far better accuracy and skill than those whose attention was split between a visual task (like driving a car) and an audio one (like having a spirited conversation).
Those study participants saddled with two visual tasks (like driving a car and sending or reading a text message) showed the lowest performance rates of any study variable group, yet they rated themselves as performing at a much higher level than they did in reality. This misperception is key to understanding the sheer volume of motorists who continue to text while driving: they think they are performing both tasks much better than they actually are, leaving other drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists in harm's way.
In spite of the fact that nearly every state has now banned text messaging while driving (some only ban young drivers or commercial vehicle operators), and the federal government has done the same thing with its own staff, it happens thousands - possibly even millions - of times a day. When people text and drive, accidents happen. And when accidents happen, innocent victims are hurt. If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by a texting or emailing driver, seek the advice of a skilled personal injury attorney in your area to find out more about your legal options.
Article provided by Bollenbeck Fyfe, S.C.
Visit us at www.bwsf.biz
Talking or Texting While Driving: Both Are Dangerous, Says Research
Texting and driving is a dangerous activity that distracts a motorist from focusing on the road. Accidents happen when drivers are distracted; however, people continue to engage in this practice.
2012-11-01
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Oregon Motorists Still Not Getting the Message About Texting Behind the Wheel
2012-11-01
Distracted driving is an epidemic in Oregon, throughout the Northwest and around the country. While old-fashioned distractions like eating, drinking, grooming and changing the in-car music selection (either by switching CDs or using an mp3 player) continue to play a part in causing traffic accidents, high-tech distractions like handheld cell phones, portable GPS units, tablet computers, e-readers and the ubiquitous text messaging are keeping the fatal accident rate tragically high.
According to preliminary data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ...
A Half-Empty Glass: Death on Minnesota Roads
2012-11-01
To the family of someone killed in a traffic accident, it is no consolation to say that traffic fatalities are down overall. The same goes for someone seriously injured.
It is true that the overall number of motor vehicle accidents has declined in recent years, both in Minnesota and nationally. However, the sad reality is that there are still far too many serious and fatal car accidents in Minnesota every year. Even more troubling is the fact that so many of these accidents are caused by drunk drivers.
Road Deaths Decline Overall
In 2011, there were 368 road deaths ...
Winter Weather Poses Hazards for Colorado Workers
2012-11-01
Winter is coming, but in Colorado that doesn't mean that things will be slowing down. Even though the temperatures will drop and the snow will fly, workers will continue to be outside doing their jobs.
Still, working during the winter comes with some risks, even for the hardiest outdoor laborers. Exposure to cold weather and slippery conditions has the potential to cause injuries that result in permanent disability. As such, all workers can benefit from reviewing some winter-weather safety tips before the season kicks off into full swing.
Work-Related Cold Stress ...
Protect and Retain Intellectual Property When Employees Leave
2012-11-01
Business owners often fret over the loss of competent and essential employees, fearing that these individuals will take with them business trade secrets and other intellectual property. Fortunately, there are several things business owners can do to protect confidential business information and retain good staff.
Three Documents that Protect Business Interests
Several documents can help businesses protect and retain their intellectual assets when employees move on:
- Proprietary Information Agreements: When part of the hiring package, proprietary information agreements ...
Boy Scouts Release 'Perversion Files' Documenting Thousands of Sexual Abuse Cases
2012-11-01
The Boy Scouts of America has a long record of helping boys develop leadership and life skills that allow them to grow into successful young men. However, for all the good it has done, the Boy Scouts also has some questionable marks on its record. Far too many Scouts have been sexually abused by adult leaders in the organization.
One only needs to look to the Boy Scouts' recently released "perversion files" to see just how pervasive the problem of sexual abuse really is.
Beginning in the 1920s, the Boy Scouts started keeping files of known abusers, ostensibly ...
Study Finds Connection Between Interruptions and Surgical Errors
2012-11-01
A new study by researchers at Oregon State University found that interruptions and distractions in the operating room lead to serious surgical errors among novice surgeons. This finding poses a grave threat to the health of surgery patients who may be seriously injured by distracted or interrupted surgeons.
The Oregon State Surgical Error Study
The Oregon State University study used a surgery simulation program to record the surgical errors of novice surgeons when they were interrupted or distracted during an operation. The surgeons were in their second, third or ...
Atlanta Nursing Home Financial Abuse
2012-11-01
Many people entrust the care of their elderly loved ones to nursing homes. Unfortunately, there are times when loved ones are subjected to nursing home abuse and neglect. Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including actual abuse and neglect that occurs from poor supervision, inadequate staffing and other factors. But senior citizens who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities can be victims of financial abuse as well.
Recently, an Atlanta nursing home employee was charged with stealing money from the elderly patients she was hired to protect. The ...
OSHA Fortifies Safety Rules for Demolition and Underground Construction
2012-11-01
In August 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a ruling, which applies the August 2010 safety standard of cranes and derricks to demolition work and underground construction. The considerable number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes and derricks in construction and the advances in equipment since the publication of the old rule led to new revisions. The safety rule will help protect construction workers from the dangers associated with hoisting equipment.
The new rule will streamline safety standards. OSHA will apply the same ...
Helpful Driving Tips to Take on a Georgia Winter
2012-11-01
Winter is quickly approaching this year, threatening to strike soon. In 2010, the Jan. 10 snowstorm wreaked havoc on roadways in Northeast Georgia. Should a similar storm hit this year, drivers need to be prepared. Accidents and injuries can be avoided by taking safety measures to help prevent motor vehicle accidents, including multi-car collisions, during the winter months in Georgia.
Preparation
- Make sure to check your vehicle's brakes, tires, battery, defrosting and heating system as well as the windshield wipers. Use nonfreezing washer fluid.
- Protect your ...
U.S. Department of Justice Sues Countrywide and Bank of America
2012-11-01
Bank of America and Countrywide find themselves in the crosshairs of the U.S. Department of Justice, which recently filed a lawsuit involving toxic mortgage loans, as Grant McCool and Jonathan Stempel report for Reuters.
A toxic asset, generally defined, is an asset whose value has declined significantly.
Bank of America, at the behest of parent company Countrywide, is said to have dumped those toxic mortgage loans on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage companies. This, in turn, caused taxpayers more than $1 billion.
What makes this case ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
New study reveals hidden manic symptoms in one-fourth of schizophrenia patients
Does the universe behave the same way everywhere? Gravitational lenses could help us find out
Majority support moderation on social media platforms
Majority support moderation on social media platforms, global survey shows
Born too late? Climate change may be delaying births
Truly autonomous AI is on the horizon
California’s marine protected areas boost fish populations across the state
Poachers’ social media posts reveal alarming extent of illegal wildlife hunting in Lebanon
Examining the potential environmental effects of mining the world’s largest lithium deposit
Chicken ‘woody breast’ detection improved with advanced machine learning model
Around 1 in 5 UK medical students considers dropping out, study suggests
Poor childhood social and cognitive skills combo linked to teens’ poor exam results
Position menstrual cups carefully to avoid possible kidney problems, doctors urge
Yale scientists recode the genome for programmable synthetic proteins
MiR-128-3p mediates MRP2 internalization in estrogen-induced cholestasis through targeting PDZK1
Bleeding risk with apixaban and dabigatran similar to aspirin
MD Anderson Research Highlights for February 10, 2025
Ready (or not) for love? Your friends likely agree
Health care students and clinicians support integrated care education
Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution identify heat-resistant kelp strain
Rice-BCM research enables detection of hazardous chemicals in human placenta with unprecedented speed and precision
Researchers are driving the charge of zero emissions
USC-led study finds potential new drug target for Alzheimer’s disease
Why you need to subscribe to NFCR’s new podcast, “All Things Cancer”
Research pinpoints weakness in lung cancer’s defenses
New study highlights healthcare utilization shifts among Long COVID patients in Colorado after diagnosis
Majority of kids who die in mass shootings killed by family members, Stanford Medicine-led study shows
How perception may shape health safety-related assessments
Potential new strategy for relieving anxiety
Scientists develop corrosion-induced electrodes for biomass upgrading
[Press-News.org] Talking or Texting While Driving: Both Are Dangerous, Says ResearchTexting and driving is a dangerous activity that distracts a motorist from focusing on the road. Accidents happen when drivers are distracted; however, people continue to engage in this practice.