Research by Ford Middle East has shown that the human brain cannot manage multiple complex tasks at once, such as texting and driving. Wam
Research by Ford Middle East has shown that the human brain cannot manage multiple complex tasks at once, such as texting and driving. Wam
Research by Ford Middle East has shown that the human brain cannot manage multiple complex tasks at once, such as texting and driving. Wam
Research by Ford Middle East has shown that the human brain cannot manage multiple complex tasks at once, such as texting and driving. Wam

Research shows human brains cannot handle texting and driving


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

Texting at the wheel is a lethal combination that can have devastating consequences, as experts claim new research proves the brain is not wired to perform multiple complex tasks at once.

Some people claim to be competent at multitasking, but science suggests otherwise and adds further evidence to the potential for road safety improvements offered by autonomous vehicles.

Guidance on driver safety has been offered by experts at Ford Middle East, who have said the effects of distracted drivers or those who are mentally taxed whilst at the wheel can be disastrous.

Driving is a high cognition activity because the conditions change regularly and often at very short notice, according to Matt Gerlach, an advanced driving instructor with Ford with a decade of experience training engineers to become expert drivers at Ford test centres.

“I’ve trained hundreds of drivers over the years, and based on my experience, I’d say that just normal road driving uses around 85 percent of your mental load,” he said.

“Just sending a text message, taking a photo or even just having a conversation with a passenger may not seem very difficult to do but it can overload the brain when someone’s driving – and that’s when accidents happen.”

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Traffic authorities in the UAE said 10 per cent of crashes could be linked back to drivers using their mobile phones to browse social media or take videos while driving.

During the Eid holiday, police said there were 728 recorded accidents in Dubai, with speeding, tailgating, carelessness and distraction the main cause of crashes.

Experts have identified four major categories of driver distractions that can divert the brain’s attention from the road and often lead to serious accidents.

Visual distractions, like checking a phone or applying make-up, audible distractions like talking on the phone or loud music and manual distractions that encourage a drive to take hands off the wheel have been cited as major caused of accidents.

Cognitive reasons, such as impairment of concentration due to tiredness or medication has also been blamed as a risk factor.

A car travelling at 100 kph can travel 390 metres in 14 seconds, the average time required to take a selfie.

A study in Saudi Arabia revealed that 98.2 per cent of drivers admitted to using their mobile phones while driving, and that using a mobile phone while driving was one of the top five causes of accidents in the Kingdom.

More than 40 per cent of drivers said that they read at least one text message a day, and 25 per cent admitted sending a text message.

When training other drivers, Mr Gerlach encourages drivers to go beyond their usual cognitive load to asses response times and improve driving ability.

“When you’re using 85 per cent of your cognitive load to drive, your mind doesn’t have the capacity to do much else,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you’re a professional or if you just drive once in a while – if you can begin to understand how much of your brain you’re using just to drive the car, it can help keep your cognitive load in check and make you a safer driver.”

Drivers can reduce the risk of an accident by concentrating just on driving and avoiding dangerous distractions when behind the wheel.

Motorists can also expand their field of vision, to try and be more aware of potential risks around them. Road users should also avoid driving while drowsy.

“It’s no secret that mental abilities diminish when fatigued or under the influence of even the mildest medications,” said Mr Gerlach.

“Being fully awake and alert when behind the wheel greatly enhances response times.”

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

MATCH INFO

RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')

Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)

Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin

The biog

Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer

Marital status: Single

Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran

Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food

Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish

Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com

RESULTS

Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)

Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)

Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)

Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)

Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)

Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)

Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)

Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)

Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)

Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

While you're here
SCORES IN BRIEF

New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The%20Kitchen
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