An Investigation of the Effects of Reading and Writing Text-Based Messages While Driving
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Summary
Texas Transportation Institute SWUTC final report on the effects of reading and writing text messages while driving an instrumented vehicle on a closed course. Forty-two participants drove under control, text-reading, and text-writing conditions, with baseline text reading and writing also collected outside the vehicle. Both reading and writing texts produced reductions in reaction time roughly twice as large as previously reported, and impairments were nearly identical between reading and writing, indicating that incoming-message-only restrictions would not eliminate the danger.
Key finding
Reading and writing text messages while driving impair brake reaction time about twice as much as prior simulator estimates, and the two activities are equally dangerous.
Methodology
Closed-course on-road experiment with an instrumented research vehicle; within-subjects comparison of control, text-reading, and text-writing conditions, with matched baseline texting performance collected outside the vehicle.
Sample size: N=42
Quality score: 5 / 5