In recent years, handsfree systems, and car-mounted systems, have become commonplace to support mobile phone conversations in cars you must choose the best equipment with mobile phone plan. These systems are motivated in terms of traffic safety, in comparison to the mere use of handheld phones to make and receive calls while driving. The safety of mobile phoning whilst driving has become a central topic in the public debate and among legislators. It has been subject to legislation in many countries around the world (McEvoy et al., 2005). Despite legislations, observational studies reveal that phones are still being used in cars (McD Taylor, Bennet, Carter and Garewal, 2003; Johal, Napier, Britt-Compton and Marshall, 2005).
The fact that people talk while driving, and the safety problems this might infer, has received a significant amount of attention from researchers. As early as 1969, well before the widespread use of mobile phones, a psychological study aimed at understanding the effect telephoning had on driving, was published (Brown, Tickner and Simmonds, 1969). Drivers were given logical problems which they needed to respond to over a telephone connection, while driving a car. Since then, numerous studies using similar cognitive perspectives have been presented. (e.g. McKnight and McKnight, 1993; Manalavan, Samar, Schneider, Kiesler and Siewiorek, 2002; Alm and Nilsson, 1995; Fairclough, Ashby, Ross and Parkes, 1991; Reed and Green, 1999; Brookhuis, de Vries and de Waard,1991). The topic has been addressed using controlled experiments where the driver takes part in staged conversations. The studies support arguments that mobile phone use dramatically increases the cognitive load of the driver, which multiply the risks for accidents. The increase on drivers’ attention is either explained by the need to handle the phone device per se, or by the demand to handle the conversation.
However, we argue that these conclusions are based on theoretical and methodological assumptions that are questionable from a sociological approach. First, traffic safety and mobile phone use is approached from a cognitive perspective. We argue that safe driving is not only about the responsibility for the individual driver. Traffic is a social activity (Juhlin, 1999) where risks are handled in collaboration. Mobile phone talk is a social activity taking place in this context. Second, safety is not only a concept which draws upon traffic theory and research. It is of practical and everyday concern for drivers, and as such has to be investigated in real use situations. Third, the emphasis to control the data collection in earlier research has raised concerns about the validity of these experiments (Goodman, Tijerina, Bents and Wierwille, 1999). ”The relationship between the intelligence test Q&A dialogues and the content of normal cellular communication is unknown. […] A better understanding of the nature of actual cellular telephone communications in business and private calls is sorely needed.”
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