IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2015 - 89

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To make this argument, we will need to dig deeper
into the data on cell phones and driving, and into
the theoretical accounts that provide interpretation
of those data. As I explain below, we can look to the
empirical literature and abstract from it a general theory of the nature of the driver distraction of handheld
and hands-free phones. This general theory, which I
refer to as the "brain-centered" account, holds that the
driving distraction of cell phones is due to inherent
cognitive limitations of the human brain. As an alternative to this theory, I have offered a "habit-centered"
account of cell phone driver distraction based on a
deep description of bodily and perceptual habituation,
developed in part here in IEEE Technology & Society
Magazine, e.g., [1], [3], [4]. To make the argument that
both wearable computing and smartphone-style dashboard interfaces present a special source of driver distraction, we will need to rely both on the brain-centered
and habit-centered accounts.

New Wave of Connectivity

Wave 1: Handheld and Hands-Free Phones
A starting point in what can be considered the "first
wave" of this line of development - and in what is still
a central point of concern in discussions of driver distraction - is the use of mobile phones.1 Mobile phones
1

The term "connectivity" has emerged in discussions of
in-cab communication and computing technologies to
refer to the capacity of devices to keep drivers in contact
with the outside world. For example, Internet and cellular phone technologies built into the dashboard are
December 2015

sometimes touted by auto manufacturers as "connectivity
features." As the General Motors website puts it: "Connectivity matters. The philosophy driving our in-vehicle connectivity advancements can be just as simply stated: Offer
in-car entertainment systems that are intuitive to use,
keep drivers safe on the road and maximize their connection to the rest of their lives" [5]. To understand what
is new about the cutting edge of connectivity options,
it is helpful to paint the recent historical progression of
these technologies in broad strokes. Let's consider three
"waves" of in-cab connectivity, with an understanding that
these waves represent rough and overlapping trends, and
that the earlier trends still continue.

∕

The Center for Disease Control compares drivers' phone usage across
countries. They report that 69% of American drivers claim to have talked
on a cell phone while behind the wheel at least once in the previous 30
days. In contrast, 40% of French drivers, and around 20% of UK drivers,
make the same claim. Just over 30% of American drivers claim to have
sent a text or email while driving over the previous 30 days, compared to
just over 20% of French drivers, and less than 20% of U.K. drivers. See
the following website, accessed 3/27/2015: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/
dsDistractedDriving/.

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2015