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Home > Mobile News > Featured News > IPods Twice as Dangerous for Drivers, Study Finds

IPods Twice as Dangerous for Drivers, Study Finds

BY LORIEN CROW | MON JAN 09, 2012 1:23 PM

Pods are twice as dangerous as cell phones for drivers, anew study finds, as the increasing use of mobile technology

brings safety challenges to the roadways.

Researchers at Drexel University used a computerized drivingsimulator to perform the study, the first to analyze the effects ofusing MP3 players while driving. Across the board, 12 participantsleft their lanes, increased their speeds, and followed other cars tooclosely when scrolling through the iPod looking for media.

Distracted driving is responsible for one of every 11 U.S. trafficfatalities, and the National Transportation Safety Board recentlyrecommended a complete ban on cell phone use while driving,including the use of hands-free headsets. Many states already bancell phone texting, but few laws include other devices like portablemusic players, GPS units, and tablet computers in their laws.

"Knowing how distracting cell phones can be, it may not besurprising that using an iPod while driving can also be distracting.More surprising is the size of the effect," said researcher DarioSalvucci, pointing out that scrolling for songs on an iPod provedtwice as dangerous as dialing a cell phone.

The growing prevalence of mobile devices presents a difficult challenge for lawmakersand law enforcement officials. Commutes are getting longer for many U.S. workers, whouse extra time in their vehicles to make phone calls and perform other tasks on theirphones. Despite educational campaigns warning of the dangers of distracted driving,most drivers don't seem to be listening.

Last year, experiments in New York and Connecticut combined hefty fines, increasedpolice presence, and a massive public education campaign to remind drivers to put theirphones away. The results were successful, but if laws don't specify which devices areillegal, lawmakers are left with little or no recourse.

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Further, listening to music while driving is a deep-rooted cultural tradition dating back tothe advent of the automobile, and those habits may prove much harder to discourage thancell phone use.

Still, lawmakers will likely take notice of the Drexel University study as they create newsafety laws for their citizens.

"As new hand-held/mobile devices are introduced and gain popularity, it becomes criticalthat we understand the driver distraction potential from these devices and work toalleviate or eliminate distraction as much as possible," Salvucci said.

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Posted In: Featured (368) | Mobile (192) | Problems & Issues (557) | Reports (595) | iPod (22) | Drexel University(1)

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