The Myth of Multi-Tasking

Like to catch up on your phone calls while driving? Forget about it. Only 2.5% of people can do both without being distracted.
Even if you’re on a hands-free cell phone, chatting with a friend while behind the wheel can seriously hamper your driving skills. According to research in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, only 2.5 percent of people can yap on their cell phone and drive without affecting their performance.
The reason: people cannot do two things at once. That’s why the term multi-tasking is, in fact, a bit of a misnomer, because what you’re really doing is switching your attention between tasks. Only this small fraction of the population, known as supertaskers, can tackle two jobs simultaneously.
Aging slows down the multitasking areas of the brain, so it can be especially risky for seniors to talk or text when behind the wheel. Be considerate to your friends (and the people you’re sharing the road with) and save your conversations for a time when you won’t be distracted.