Neuroscience informs driving and texting is a no brainer

Neuroscience research informs that the associated action of driving, and engaging in mobile phone use, profoundly reduces driving and brain efficiency.

Neuroscience and behavioural centred research have found that the behaviour of driving and mobile usage leads to significant neurological and behavioural deficiencies; and these deficiencies lead to major cognitive, behavioural and driving failures, which instantly leads to profoundly and extremely dangerous driving circumstances.

The media regularly reports that there still seems to be a great deal of social apathy in relation to mobile phone usage when driving, as well as social anger directed towards the penalties that are directed at drivers who use their mobile phones whilst driving.

There has, at times, been some discussion in the media suggesting that mobile phones should be disabled whilst in the car. This possibility has led to social outcries that this is type of “mobile immobilisation” is intrusive and even “unfair.”

Irrespective of what one may think or feel about this mobile phone immobilisation possibility, or the current penalties directed at drivers, who drive and use their mobile phone; the evidence in the field of neuroscience is very clear; no amount of “shouting from the roof tops” to argue for allowing one to use a mobile phone whilst driving in the car, does not override the negative consequences mobile phone usage - especially that of texting whilst driving - has on brain function and on driving ability itself.

Direct and immediate impact

In terms of direct and immediate impact, neuroscience research has found that mobile phone usage - especially the action of texting - whilst driving, has a profound negative impact in that it reduces the brain’s capacity pertaining to driving and associated cognitive efficiency.

This reduction in brain and overall mental efficiency and its concomitant conscious effectiveness means that the associated neuromuscular and its connected behavioural skill of driving, also becomes equally inefficient, and also, extremely unsafe and dangerous as well.

Multitasking is in fact a myth

“But I can successfully multitask,” is the oft cry. Neuroscience research has shown that multitasking is in fact a myth. John Medina writing in his book Brain Rules points out, “the brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time.”

Sequential neurobiological imperative

Because of this sequential neurobiological imperative, this means, as noted, multitasking is a myth. For that reason, in terms of neurobiological and associated neuromuscular skill-based function, the brain and the body (the hólos) cannot successfully, and/or safely, deal with the task of driving and engaging in mobile phone use at the same time. This type of multiple activity involvement, in actual fact, erodes the capacities of efficient brain function, cognition, attention, perception, behavioural skills, and it can even have a negative impact on the memory.

Our brain of course has the profound sentient capacity to seamlessly process information that it is being exposed to; however, even for this extraordinary consciousness ability, there is a neurological, neuromuscular and skill-based attentional cost to this action; especially if you are trying to engage in a process of engaging in multiple tasks.

Thinking and action is a neurophysiological and neuromuscular process. The research points out that when neurons are firing and are working hard, that there is an associated neurophysiological cost. This neurophysiological cost causes neurons to fatigue, as such, this neuronal fatiguing, leads to cognitive, attentional and perceptual declines, which also brings with it associated behavioural and skill-based inefficiencies as well.

Driving blind

The neuroscience literature points out that brain function, pertaining to attention, is also a limited-capacity resource. For example, to carry out the attempted multiple act of driving, whilst, at the same time also trying to use a mobile phone, leads to what is known as attentional fragmentation; as well as that of what is referred to as perceptual blindness. What this means is that as soon as you take your eyes off the road, this is the same as putting on a blind fold. You are now actually driving blind.

Attentional fragmentation

Consequentially, when attentional fragmentation takes place, this is when attention is directed into a number of competing areas, and this means the brain’s ability to successfully deal with these competing circumstances reduces the brain’s ability to function efficiently, which includes the occipital lobe. It is the occipital lobe, at the back of the brain, that provides us with the visual understanding of what we are seeing.

As noted, when the brain is functioning inefficiently, this inefficiency leads to attentional fragmentation, and this neurological attention fragmentation, profoundly reduces the brain’s cognitive capacity and our physical skills, and abilities, which includes sight and - importantly - our visual understanding of the world, to successfully undertake the competing tasks that are now taking place.

Significant mental reduction

Added to this, it is important to also note that attentional fragmentation also leads to significant reduction in our thinking capacities, which includes the ability to analyse what is taking place, both internally and externally, i.e., the world around us.

As such, our attention on detail, our ability to engage in focussed attention, our capacity to mindfully and purposefully concentrate, and our conscious capacity to successfully analyse and undertake all of the competing multiple behavioural tasks that are now being carried out; have all been profoundly and dangerously compromised.

This then means – that no matter how much you personally think you can undertake a number of actions at the same time – the universal neurological and neuromuscular behavioural skill-based reality states that, in fact, you cannot do this. This then means, in absolute universal terms, you cannot, and you are in fact, unable (either neurologically, behaviourally, and/or in terms of skills and abilities), to drive safely, while you are using a mobile phone.

Cognitive inefficiencies

That is because your thinking is now inefficient, your observational and perceptual abilities are inefficient, your reaction time is inefficient, your attention to the task at hand is inefficient, your capacity to see and your understanding of – what in effect is a moving environment – has all been profoundly and dangerously reduced. What this now means is that you are now not only driving inefficiently and unsafely, you have now become, an immediate present danger, not only to yourself, but others as well.

Daniel Levitin writing in his book The Organized Mind, importantly points out the following: "Our brain evolved to focus on one thing at a time. ... Multitasking is the enemy of a focused neurological attentional system. ... [This means] we can't truly think about or attend to [multiple tasks] at once. [The neurological fact is] our brain [will] flit from [task] to the other, each time with a neurobiological switching cost. The [neurological and cognitive] system does not function well [attempting to engage in multiple tasking]."

Stressors

Added to this is the evidence from Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, Norman Doidge, Susan Greenfield, John Arden, Wendy Suzuki, and Ken Purnell, just to name a few neuroscience and brain plasticity researchers who point out that trying to engage in this myth of multitasking also leads to increases in the production of adrenaline and cortisol.

Fight-flight-freeze

Cortisol is also known as being a stress hormone, in addition to this, cortisol is associated with the fight-flight-freeze condition. Cortisol negatively affects the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex (which is known as the executive thinking part of the brain), as such, all of this profoundly reduces the brain’s ability to think efficiently, to perceive efficiently, to move efficiently and to even to comprehensively notice and even remember what is, and has been taking place.

Mental fog

The release of cortisol and adrenaline (during the time and action of where one is trying to multitask), also tends to overstimulate the brain and can bring about what Levitin refers to as a mental fog or a scrambled thinking condition. This then again means that when you are driving, and mobile phone multitasking, you are not only in a mental and behavioural fog, you have now - as noted - also become an immediate danger to yourself, and at the same time, as alluded to already, you are now also an immediate clear and present danger to everyone else, in your car and also all others on the road.

One prime purpose

In terms of absolute universal truths, driving a car only has one prime purpose, and that one prime purpose is to drive safely. Everything else is secondary. Driving to an appointment, driving to go shopping, going to work, dropping children off at school, going to a restaurant or movies, driving for leisure, and etc., all of these are secondary behaviours; the prime purpose of driving is to drive safely.

Irrefutable

As noted, the neuroscience evidence is irrefutable, no one can drive safely whilst using a mobile phone, and texting is even worse. As noted, when your are texting you are actually driving blind. And, no amount of arguing or shouting, or denying neurological facts changes the universal neurological truth about this brain, body and behavioural evidence.

Free will and choices

We are all sentient and free willed, free-thinking beings. We all have choices when we are driving. You have the choice to leave the phone connected and active in the car, or you can choose to switch the phone off. If the phone is off, this means you are - more likely than not - driving with the purpose of safety in mind and in action.

Your responsibility

However, if you are driving with the phone switched on – which again is a conscious choice you have made – you will be driving with attentional fragmentation potential in place, and this action, of having the phone on and worse, using the phone, whilst driving, as noted, brings with it associated cognitive costs and profound behavioural inefficiencies; all of which becomes, and is, your responsibility.

Therefore, if you choose to drive and use the mobile phone, it is you who will carry the responsibility for everything that follows, both in neurophysiological terms, behavioural terms and in terms of personal, social and environmental consequences as well.

Profound costs

Perhaps it is time for the penalties to reflect the costs these chosen mobile phone users create in terms of hospital expenses and car repair expenses. However, the mental, emotional, psychological and life-changing costs of these self-initiated chosen accidents and associated profound costs can never be calculated. 

Every person has free choice. Free to obey or disobey...Your choice determines the consequences. Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his [or her] choices. (Alfred A. Montapert).