[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/drivers-should-talk-to-themselves-to-avoid-car-crashes-scientific-study-finds\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/drivers-should-talk-to-themselves-to-avoid-car-crashes-scientific-study-finds\/","headline":"Drivers Should Talk to Themselves to Avoid Car Crashes, Scientific Study Finds","name":"Drivers Should Talk to Themselves to Avoid Car Crashes, Scientific Study Finds","description":"There\u2019s an old joke that by talking to yourself, you get reasonable answers. Well, research from psychology professors at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom shows that a little chatter to yourself behind the wheel could help you avoid a collision, too. The study published in September in the journal PLOS ONE focused...","datePublished":"2019-11-26","dateModified":"2024-10-06","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/author\/cainlaw-okc\/#Person","name":"Monty L. Cain","url":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/author\/cainlaw-okc\/","identifier":9,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab82708f677f67b564496e2ed7af91b20518b6078af6004be71acdf69aeb14b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ab82708f677f67b564496e2ed7af91b20518b6078af6004be71acdf69aeb14b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Cain Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/cainlaw-site-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/cainlaw-site-logo.png","width":96,"height":146}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/edmond-car-accident-attorney.jpg","url":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/edmond-car-accident-attorney.jpg","height":200,"width":300},"url":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/drivers-should-talk-to-themselves-to-avoid-car-crashes-scientific-study-finds\/","about":["Traffic Accident Articles"],"wordCount":524,"articleBody":"There\u2019s an old joke that by talking to yourself, you get reasonable answers. Well, research from psychology professors at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom shows that a little chatter to yourself behind the wheel could help you avoid a collision, too.The study published in September in the journal PLOS ONE focused on crashes between motorcycles and other vehicles \u2014 specifically when a driver pulls into oncoming traffic. Researchers said driving safety tips for these \u201cLook But Fail to See\u201d crashes previously have focused on improving how drivers scan the roadway and increasing motorcycle visibility.However, drivers\u2019 inattention may not be the only culprit, the study found. Instead, short-term memory glitches also appear to be part of the problem.What Did the Study Show?The study conducted three experiments using an advanced driving simulator \u2014 a BMW Mini within a projection dome that offers a 360-degree simulated view. The researchers found that drivers in the simulation failed to report an approaching motorcycle between 13 percent and 18 percent of the time. These failures occurred even after the driver fixated on the oncoming motorcycle, the study said.The amount of time that elapsed between the drivers looking at the motorcycle and pulling out into the simulated intersection suggests that drivers weren\u2019t looking in the wrong place or not paying attention. Rather, \u201cthe car driver is actually seeing the bike but forgetting it by the time they pull out,\u201d Associate Professor Peter Chapman, who led the study, told CBC\/Radio-Canada.Other things drivers look at can overwrite their memory of seeing the motorcycle, even seconds later, Chapman continued: \u201cWe have this picture of the world like we\u2019re watching a movie in front of us, and we think we\u2019re paying attention to all of it, but we\u2019re not. We\u2019re just paying attention to one thing at a time unless we actively remember it.\u201d\u2018See Bike, Say Bike\u2019The study proposed that drivers talk to themselves about what they see \u2014 a strategy called \u201cPerceive Retain Choose\u201d \u2014 in such situations to correct these \u201cSaw But Forgot\u201d errors. For instance, one driver safety technique the researchers mentioned in the British newspaper The Telegraph proposes drivers say the word \u201cbike\u201d aloud when they see an approaching motorcycle (called a \u201cmotorbike\u201d in England).Called \u201cSee Bike, Say Bike,\u201d this strategy helps the \u201crelevant visual information\u201d stick close to mind because of the verbal cue, Chapman told The Telegraph.\u201cClearly, any research that improves our understanding of these crashes and the kind of countermeasures that can be used to prevent them has the potential to be a major contribution to world health,\u201d he noted.Why not test drive that idea before you pull into oncoming traffic? Say \u201ccar,\u201d \u201ctruck,\u201d \u201cbike\u201d \u2014or whatever you see \u2014 before giving yourself the all-clear to proceed.Need Legal Advice? Contact a Car Accident Attorney NowIf you or a loved one has been involved in a vehicle crash in the Oklahoma City area, regardless of the circumstances, the dedicated attorneys at Cain Law are here to assist you. Please contact us for a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Drivers Should Talk to Themselves to Avoid Car Crashes, Scientific Study Finds","item":"https:\/\/cainlaw-okc.com\/blog\/drivers-should-talk-to-themselves-to-avoid-car-crashes-scientific-study-finds\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]