Online Game Shows How Bad Drivers are at Multitasking

The online edition of the New York Times recently posted a video game which is designed to show you just how difficult multitasking really is while driving.  The game is very simple: you are in a virtual car and you have to constantly switch lanes by typing in a corresponding number 1-6.  At certain points during the online game, a text message will appear in your cell phone off to the side of the screen.  The message will have some short question, like “what movie do you want to see tonight: Transformers, The Hangover, or Star Trek?”  You have to answer the text message while still driving and switching lanes.

Texting and driving is something that people do every day and often without any consequences.  However, we do know that many people aren’t so lucky and have terrible accidents because they were multitasking while driving.  According to the New York Times, studies show that most drivers believe their ability to multitask is much higher than what it really is.  You don’t really need studies to know this though: just about every driver will say that other drivers shouldn’t be allowed to text and drive – but then they will do so themselves because they think they have good multitasking skills.

The text-driving online game is very simple but surprisingly difficult to complete.  One friend of mine who played the online game complained because the car was moving too fast and that it was nearly impossible to respond to the texts.  Yes, the car was going pretty fast – but the car wasn’t subjected to all of the other aspects of driving that can occur.  All you had to do was hit a number to switch lanes, not worry about speed changes, other drivers swerving into your lane, rain obstructing your view, and so forth.

Of course, an online game isn’t going to be an accurate gauge of the real dangers of multitasking and driving.  But this simple online game comes close to showing just how difficult it is to divide your focus and operate both hands separately.  Even if you do well on the game online, experts still say that you should never try to drive and text at the same time.