A University of Rhode Island study attracted national attention last month because it found that talking on cell phones may produce "tunnel vision" or a reduced field of view for drivers. But underreported since the release of preliminary findings is an even more disturbing conclusion: the underlying danger may be Thinking While Driving.

Tasks like trying to remember a list of groceries, or comparing gasoline prices, or yakking on the phone, all may decrease drivers' alertness. The implications are enormous (although perhaps not so much in Rhode Island, where no one has ever accused drivers of being overly thoughtful).

Here's what we know so far:

Two years ago, Manbir Sodhi and Jerry Cohen, respective URI professors of industrial engineering and psychology, began a study that tracked the eye movements of drivers carrying out various tasks. The researchers mounted baseball-like caps on test subjects, holding in place two tiny cameras -- one to watch eye movements, the other to see what drivers were viewing on the highway -- and sent them tooling down Route 138 in Kingston.

They found that drivers talking on the phone had a reduced field of view -- their eyes weren't moving as much. This was not the case when the motorists were doing other things, like tuning the radio or otherwise glancing from the roadway. The tunnel vision caused by cell phones lasted even after the drivers hung up, and the researchers speculate this is because they were still thinking about the conversation.

So much for the holding-the-phone theory, which led to some laws requiring hands-free headsets for cell phones in cars. "Holding the phone isn't the main issue. Thinking is," Sodhi says.

This doesn't doom cell phone use while driving, Sodhi says in a news release. But he says roads that require a lot of concentration should perhaps be designated as "cell-free zones." The real implication goes far beyond cell phone use. In states where drivers actually think while they drive, this could lead to an entirely new safety campaign:

"You are entering Rhode Island, where Driving While Thinking is not only thoughtless: It's Against the Law!"

"THINK ABOUT IT: A First Offense of TWI Will Land You a Fine in the Ocean State. A Second Offense Will Put You in Jail."

"Buckle Up. And Don't Think."

"Speed Kills. So Does Thinking."

"If you are reading this sign, fine. If you are thinking about it, stop!"

Well, all of this is food for thought.

Just don't think about it when you're driving.

Issue Date: August 2 - 8, 2002