Effects of Cell Phone Conversation on Drivers’ Perceptions of Cyclists’ Intentions

In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of cyclists killed in traffic collisions. One potential cause of collisions between vehicles and cyclists is drivers’ inaccurate judgments of cyclists’ intentions. Another possible cause for collision is cell phone use, which diverts drivers’ attention from the road. The current study aimed to determine what cues drivers used to make quick and accurate judgments of intent and whether talking on a cell phone impacted drivers’ abilities to accurately predict cyclists’ intentions. Our results revealed that only arm signals significantly impacted driver judgments; road position and head movement did not. The results also showed that simulated cell phone conversations led to less accurate responses, highlighting the dangers of talking on the phone while driving.