Are you still driving and texting?

If you are, it’s dangerous, selfish, foolish and most certainly arrogant

Neuroscience and behavioural centred research has found that the parallel behaviour of driving and cell/mobile phone usage leads to substantial neurological and behavioural costs, and these costs leads to major cognitive, behavioural and driving inefficiencies, which instantly leads to profoundly unsafe dangerous driving.

The literature in neuroscience points out that attention is a limited-capacity resource. To carry out the parallel act of driving whilst also using a cell/mobile phone leads to what is known as attentional fragmentation. This is when attention is directed into a number of competing areas, and this means the brain’s ability to successfully (and safely) deal with these competing circumstances reduces the brain’s ability to function efficiently.

Attentional fragmentation

Attentional fragmentation leads to significant reduction in our thinking, our attention, our ability to focus o n detail, our concentration abilities, and our capacity to successfully analyse and undertake the competing tasks being carried out. This means – that no matter how much you or I personally think we can undertake a number of actions at the same time – the neurological and neuromuscular behavioral skill based reality states that you cannot. This means you cannot (either neurologically, in your thinking or behaviorally in your driving), drive safely while you are using a cell/mobile phone.

Multitasking is the enemy of a focused attentional system

Daniel Levitin writing in his book The Organized Mind, points out the following: Our brain evolved to focus on one thing at a time. ... Multitasking is the enemy of a focused “[neurological] attentional system. ... We can't truly think about or attend to [multiple tasks] at once. [The neurological fact is] our brain flits from [task] to the other, each time with a neurobiological switching cost. The [neurological and cognitive] system does not function well” in our attempt to engage in multiple tasking.

Cortisol and adrenaline

The release of cortisol and adrenaline (during the time and action of trying to do two or more things at the same time), tends to overstimulate the brain and can bring about what Levitin refers to as a mental fog or scrambled thinking condition. This again means that when you are driving, you are not only a danger to yourself, you are now also presenting a behavior of clear and present danger to everyone else on the road.

Driving a car only has one purpose

Driving a car only has one prime purpose, and that one prime purpose is to drive safely. Everything else is secondary. Driving to an appointment, driving to go shopping, going to work, dropping children off at school, going to a restaurant or movies, driving for leisure, and etc., all of these are secondary behaviors, to the prime purpose of safe driving.

 We are all sentient and free willed, free thinking beings

We are all sentient and free willed, free thinking beings. We all have choices when we are driving. You have the choice to leave the cell/mobile phone connected and active in the car, or you can choose to switch the phone off. If the phone is off, this means you are driving with the attention and purpose of driving safety.

 Are you still driving and texting?

If you are, it’s dangerous, selfish, foolish and most certainly arrogant

If you are driving with the cell/mobile phone switched on – which is a conscious choice you have made – you will be driving with attentional fragmentation in place, and this action, of having the phone on and worse, using the phone to read and/or send texts; this action means you ARE driving blind; and this actions also brings with it this associated cognitive cost and behavioural costs and inefficiencies. All of which is dangerous.

You, the driver are responsible

You the driver of the car, the reader of the text, the sender of the text, are responsible for this action. The choices you make have consequences. As Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, points out: “We are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.”

About the Author

Dr. Ragnar Purje PhD holds the position of Adjunct Lecturer and Research Higher Degree Student Supervisor, CQUniversity Australia.

Ragnar completed his PhD thesis in cognitive neuroscience, under the supervision of Professor Ken Purnell at CQUniversity. Dr Purje’s thesis focussed on researching the success of his new and pioneering form of brain-based and complex movement therapy. Ragnar’s thesis led to his therapy being classified as Complex Brain Based Multi-Movement Therapy (CBBMMT).

In addition to this Dr Purje’s thesis added two new descriptors into the lexicon of human biology; these are neurofluidity and hólos. Neurofluidity are the neurological processes that lead to the condition of brain plasticity. The expression hólos is a term which, for the first time in history (to the best of Dr Purje’s research and understanding), provides a descriptor which unifies the brain and the body, with one word. Prior to this the brain and the body had been referred to as two separate entities, i.e. the brain and the body.

Ragnar is the author of Responsibility Theory? (a personal and classroom behaviour management program), and he is the developer of NeuroNumeracy?, an intensive self-motivating neuroscience brain based program for children. The purpose of which is to enhance the skills, knowledge and understanding and positive emotional association of the four operations in mathematics.

Ragnar bases his all of his achievements as a result of him undertaking and then passionately persevering with the traditional martial art of Goju Karate; which he contends rewired his brain. Dr Purje continues his practice of Goju Karate on a daily basis. “Every day one kata.”

Responsibility Theory? is available online with Amazon/Kindle. Hard copies are available from the CQUniversity Book Store. Website: bookshop.cqu.edu.au Phone: + 61 7 4930 9421.