Multi-tasking, Driving, and Your Brain

What happens inside your brain when you're trying to multi-task and drive at the same time? Listen to what John Medina, author of Brain Rules has to say:

Text Messaging and Driving

Several research studies have found the extraordinary danger of text messaging while driving. Here are some links to further explore and understand the effects of text messaging when driving:


Try a simulation game which illustrates the impact of being distracted when driving at the New York Times

Go to the Oprah page dedicated to the dangers of driving distracted. Pay particular attention to “Putting Distracted Drivers to the Test” and “Distracted Driving: What You Don’t See”

Take the two quizzes about how your brain really works when you’re trying to use a cell phone while driving: “Your Brain on Texting Quiz” and “Teen Texting and Driving Quiz.”

Multi-tasking and Your Brain

Cognitive psychologists have found in their research that multi-tasking is simply not as efficient as truly focusing on one task for an amount of time. John Medina wrote in his book Brain Rules about the inefficiences of making your brain shift from one activity to another. Check out his explanation: