Citation

Langer P, Holzner B, Magnet W, Kopp M. Neuropsychiatr. 2004; 18(3-4): 111-114.

Vernacular Title

Der Einfluss von Mobiltelefongesprächen sowie geringgradiger Alkoholisierung auf die Wahrnehmung peripherer visueller Reize

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Dustri-Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The peripheral vision system plays a very important role in the orientation system. Its task is to detect information and select the relevant from the irrelevant. Many accidents happen when drivers miss important information because their visual field is reduced. One reason for such a reduction is that the driver focuses his attention on something that has nothing to do with his driving. When the cognitive system has insufficient attention at its command, it compensates by neglecting the peripheral vision system and focusing on the central field of vision. Consequently, every action which needs a high degree of attention poses a potential danger, because it reduces the visual field and may cause an accident. This study investigated whether legal everyday occurrences which take place while driving a motor vehicle and which require some attention, such as holding a conversation or being under the influence of a low dose of alcohol (between 40 and 50 ml alcohol level), influence the scope of the driver's visual field. The peripheral vision reaction time of 60 persons was measured using the "Peripheral Vision Test" by Schuhfried. The test subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 20 each): group 1 was asked to hold a conversation during the test, group 2 took the test under the influence of a low dose of alcohol measured from the subject's breath using the "Alcotest 7410" (Drager Sicherheitstechnik, Germany), and group 3 served as the control. Significant differences in the average reaction time were seen between the control and the conversation group (0.76 vs. 1.20 seconds, p = 0.001) and also between the control and the alcohol group (0.76 vs. 1.03 seconds, p = 0,04). The alcohol group also differed significantly from the control group in terms of the average number of wrong reactions (19 vs. 46, p = 0.001). Holding a conversation with a passenger while driving a car reduces the peripheral vision field and causes tunnel vision. The same effect can be observed in persons under the influence of a low dose of alcohol. The difference between a driver holding a conversation and an inebriated driver is that the inebriated driver not only has a longer reaction time but also shows more wrong reactions.


Keywords: Driver distraction;

Language: de