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28 July 2003: Complex conversations with a passenger are dangerous to road safety, just as much as on a cell-phone, according to research carried out in Madrid.

The investigation, carried out on behalf of the city's Traffic Management Department, examined in real-life driving whether higher levels of mental workload while driving contributed to driver distraction and impairment of visual search functions.

The 12 participants drove an instrumented car, and their mental workload was manipulated by having them perform a number of mental tasks while driving. At the same time their eye movements were recorded, along with the driving functions they were doing.

The researchers concluded that mental tasks produced spatial gaze concentration and visual-detection impairment.

	July 2003 - Trish Whelan
Chatty passengers 'as risky as phones' 28 July 2003: Complex conversations with a passenger are dangerous to road safety, just as much as on a cell-phone, according to research carried out in Madrid. The investigation, carried out on behalf of the city's Traffic Management Department, examined in real-life driving whether higher levels of mental workload while driving contributed to driver distraction and impairment of visual search functions. The 12 participants drove an instrumented car, and their mental workload was manipulated by having them perform a number of mental tasks while driving. At the same time their eye movements were recorded, along with the driving functions they were doing. The researchers concluded that mental tasks produced spatial gaze concentration and visual-detection impairment.
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