We have all heard that texting and driving is bad, but can having a conversation be just as bad or even worse? While driving, the brain needs almost full focus in order to drive safely since there are many actions happening at once. When a person talks or texts on a phone, it is taking away focus the brain needs to drive safely, which can lead to a fatal car accident. Over one-million car accidents a year are said to be caused by cell phone distractions. Are cell phones the real problem, or is it just the driver? When the brain tries to multitask, it cannot focus on everything at once. Multitasking is impossible which is why talking on the phone and driving can be so dangerous. The National Safety Council says, “1 in 4 car accidents happen …show more content…
When a driver is talking on a cell phone, that driver’s concentration is in two places when it needs to be in one place, that is focusing on the road signs and lights. When a driver talks on a phone, the brain of the driver is focusing on what to say and what the other person is saying. When a driver is focusing on words a person is saying and attempting to read a sign, the brain can mix the words up, causing the driver not to see a sign that clearly reads “stop” or “yield”. Marcel Just, a neuroscientist from Carnegie Mellon University says “Novice drivers turn off the radio they ask you not to talk to them.They need all the brain participation they can get, The more experience the more automatic driving becomes.” When a person is just starting to drive, that new driver needs more brainpower than a person with more experience because that driver is still learning what to do. The longer a person has been driving, the easier it will be for that person to look away from the road without worry. The more focus a task needs, the more difficult it is for the brain to do. For example, talking on a phone while writing is said to be almost impossible. This is because the brain is trying to say certain words