Effects of dichotically enhanced electronic communication on crash risk and performance during simulated driving

In a driving simulator experiment, male and female college students received turn-by-turn driving directions and cognitive tasks while interacting with an experimenter via an audio communication system. In an Enhanced condition (n = 29), lower speech frequencies (containing the speech fundamental frequency) were routed to participants' left ears (with right cerebral-hemisphere processing) and verbal frequencies above the speech fundamental frequency were routed to right ears (with left hemisphere processing). A control group (n = 31) heard unfiltered communications in both ears. Compared to those in the Control condition, participants in the Enhanced condition were significantly less likely to crash and had nonsignificantly lower rates of driving errors (speed infractions, improper lane position, and following distance errors). The results suggest a means of alleviating cognitive load pressure and mitigating crash risk when complex equipment is operated concurrently with two-way electronic communications (cell phone communication while driving, air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, etc.).