Are Eating and Phone Use Equally Distracting? A Simulated Driving Model Comparison

Abstract

In this study, we sought to compare the mental workload of eating/drinking and phone use while driving. This was done by using Micro Saint Sharp to model a simulated driving task that included stop lights combined with either eating and drinking or a phone call. We hypothesized that the mental workload for phone use and eating/drinking would be the same, as literature suggests that eating while driving can be equally dangerous. Results show that eating and drinking were associated with a lower mental workload than phone use, and both eating and drinking are associated with significantly higher workload than baseline. This research has the potential to inform future legislation regarding driver safety.