Texas researchers say distracted driving impacts your body

Posted: Oct 25, 2016 / 02:51 PM CDT

Updated: Oct 25, 2016 / 02:51 PM CDT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KPRC) Research is now being conducted to show the effects distracted driving has on our bodies.

“We’ve found that people do get stressed out when they’re trying to do two things at once,” says Robert Wunderlich, with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “And that in certain circumstances, particularly when they’re taking their eyes off the road, that their performance deteriorates.”

Researchers at the Transportation Institute created a driving simulator to help capture data on what really happens to drivers when they’re not paying attention to the road.

“What we’re trying to find out is whether or not — just as you would monitor the engine temperature and your oil pressure — can we measure literally the pressure that’s on the driver and see whether or not they’re under a lot of stress, and whether or not it’s affecting their performance?” Wunderlich says.

According to the research, texting isn’t the only distraction that caused drivers stress.

Answering homework questions from your kids, traffic and even driving while you’re upset can all be distractions.

“Sometimes we get carried away and we think that the communicating or the Snapchatting or texting or doing something like that is very important,” Wunderlich said.

The goal of the study is to help motorists drive better.