The effects of cellphone and CD use on novice and experienced driver performance

The current research examined the effect of cellphone use on the driving behaviour of novice as compared to experienced drivers, to determine whether a cellphone prohibition might be an appropriate graduated licensing (GDL) restriction. In both phases of the recent study, participants were asked to interact with cellphones while dealing with traffic situations. In the simulator, participants were also asked to interact with a CD player while driving. The reaction times, eye movements and vehicle control of the participants were measured to assess driver performance. Not surprisingly, the study results confirm that the overall driving behaviour of novices is poorer than that of experienced drivers. What is surprising is that the results also indicate that the driving behaviour of novices is not more affected by cellphone/CD-player interaction than is the driving behaviour of experienced drivers. In the study, the driving behaviour of both groups was affected by the use of cellphones and CD players, though not always in the same ways. In fact, in some instances, the distractors (i.e., cellphones and CD players) had more of an impact on experienced drivers than novice drivers. The overall conclusion coming out of this research is that cellphones and CD players are detrimental to the driving behaviour of all, not just novice, drivers.