OT: Multi-tasking, attention and talking on your cell while driving Options

[raynekat]

Big time off topic, but really interesting.

Was watching a show last night call "Brain Games."

The topic was how your mind works while paying attention to things....as in how we concentrate.

1) The 1st big misnomer was "multi-tasking." No such thing. Your brain just completely 100% switches from one task to another. Now maybe some are better at switching back and forth than others, but they are still breaking their attention from one task to get on with the other.

2) 95% of magic tricks work on this premise. Since your mind can only concentrate and pay attention to one thing at a time, magicians use this to distract you from what they are trying to accomplish. Pick pockets do the same. Maybe no real news here, but to see it in real time and slow motion was interesting.

3) So this leads to driving while on the cell phone. They put a guy on a small road coarse had him talking to someone on the phone, and would randomly throw stuff in front of the car. Nearly all the time he was out of control as he wasn't paying attention to his driving.

Their conclusion was that driving while talking on the cell was "equally" as dangerous as driving while under the influence. The day might be coming where you'll lose your license for a year if your caught on your cell. I for one think that would be a good thing.

Food for thought at any rate.

You are just kidding yourself if you think you can multi-task. Driving while yacking on your cell is the ultimate example of this.

[1970 Neun vierzehn]

Unbelievably, the son of a friend considers driving a "distraction" from his use of his smart phone. I stifled an onerous reply, wanted to tell that college kid to get rid of his car, save the money, and just call uber. But, I held my tongue. Unfortunately, that is not an atypical attitude among todays' youth.

My retirement job takes me on the surface streets and interstates in and around Cincinnati four days a week. Virtually every day I see accidents, almost always rear-end collisions (distraction perhaps?). Every day drivers not moving when traffic signals show green. Every day stop signs being overlooked. Every day red lights ignored. Every day people driving 5, 10, 15 or 20 mph below the posted speed limit. Every day people veering out of their lane and into either adjacent or oncoming traffic. Though cell phone use is not always the cause, my unscientific observations seem to indicate that its use usually precipitates the incident.

Paul

[Valy]

Unbelievably, the son of a friend considers driving a "distraction" from his use of his smart phone. I stifled an onerous reply, wanted to tell that college kid to get rid of his car, save the money, and just call uber. But, I held my tongue. Unfortunately, that is not an atypical attitude among todays' youth.

It's the age difference mentality. Try talking to him on Snapchat.