Although most drivers are aware that talking while driving is a major source of distraction, the precise mechanisms by which everyday conversation affects core visual abilities have long remained unclear. However, a recent scientific study published by MedicalXpress has revealed that merely talking—even without using one’s hands—can delay the eye movements essential for making quick and safe decisions on the road.
اضافة اعلان
The study, conducted by researchers from Fujita Health University in Japan and published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that the cognitive load generated by speaking places sufficient mental strain to slow down eye responses—the very first step in the chain of visual and motor processes required for driving.
Researchers explain that approximately 90% of the information drivers rely on while driving is acquired visually. Therefore, even a slight delay in initiating eye movement or fixing the gaze on a visual target can lead to slower hazard detection and delayed physical responses, such as braking or changing direction.
The study was led by Associate Professor Shintaro Uehara, who noted that the research team sought to determine whether the impact of talking on eye movement varies depending on the direction of gaze—an issue of critical importance in real-world driving situations that require rapid shifts of attention forward, downward, and sideways.
Thirty healthy adult participants took part in the study. They were asked to perform rapid visual tasks involving moving their eyes from a central point to targets appearing in eight different directions. The experiment was conducted under three separate conditions: speaking, listening only, and performing no additional task.
During the speaking condition, participants were asked to answer general cognitive questions. In the listening condition, they merely listened to literary texts without verbal interaction. The results showed that speaking caused noticeable delays across three key stages: the initiation of eye movement, reaching the visual target, and maintaining fixation on it.
Although these delays may appear minimal when measured in milliseconds, researchers warned that they can accumulate while driving, potentially leading to slower detection of pedestrians, obstacles, or sudden changes in road conditions.
The study emphasized that the issue is not limited to handheld phone use, but also extends to “seemingly safe” conversations, such as hands-free calls through in-car communication systems, due to the mental effort they impose and its impact on visual control mechanisms.
A Clear Safety Message
The researchers concluded that talking while driving disrupts the earliest stages of visual processing—before perception, decision-making, and motor execution—making it a hidden danger that drivers may not consciously recognize.
The team believes these findings carry important implications for road safety and could contribute in the future to improved driver training programs, better vehicle interface design, and more precise guidelines aimed at reducing cognitive distraction while driving.
In conclusion, the researchers stressed that even simple, everyday conversations can impair the eye’s ability to respond quickly, underscoring the need to reconsider talking habits behind the wheel—especially in situations that demand a high level of visual concentration.
Al Arabiya
