Geoff Boynton talks about the dangers of multi-tasking while driving in this UW Daily story.
UW Daily, June 1
On April 19, a bill was passed in Olympia that severely limits the legal use of electronic devices in motor vehicles. The law will allow for “the minimal use of a finger to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of the device.” Beyond this, drivers will be fined even for using their phones at stoplights. The bill will take effect in late July.
Texting and driving has been illegal in Washington state since 2007, as has talking on the phone if it is not hands-free. These laws haven’t stopped people from using their phones for myriad other uses, though, such as changing music or checking Instagram when the traffic gets slow.
“We’re finding more and more that you have to work really hard to come up with tasks that people can truly do simultaneously,” said Geoffrey Boynton, a professor of psychology who studies human attention.
Read the rest of the article here .