A Deadly Wandering

In 2010, Dr. Strayer joins a group of researchers in London to present findings on a group of so-called “supertaskers”—those whose performance did not suffer when doing two things at once. Strayer and his colleagues are trying to figure out if ordinary people might be able to replicate this behavior.

Dr. Gazzaley’s new lab in San Francisco develops Neuroracer, a video game that can broaden focus and improve the ability to sustain attention. Subjects aged 60 and above show increased ability to focus that remains weeks after they finish the game. This is a huge breakthrough—such games might treat conditions such as ADD in the future.

Reggie begins dating a girl named Brittney and one day takes her to the place the accident happened and walks through it with her. They also visit the cemetery where Keith O’Dell is buried.

Jackie’s children are doing a project on the topic of rights and responsibilities—specifically the right to drive a car with the responsibility to do so without texting. The Furfaros, Terryl, and Reggie meet to discuss this.

Jackie forgives Reggie, but Leila still feels disconnected from the world without Keith. She contemplates online dating. She still hasn’t spoken with Reggie.

In 2013, AT&T makes a video about the accident. Reggie participates, but breaks down sobbing when they arrive at the accident site. After the same thing happens when Reggie speaks at a sporting event, a psychologist pulls him aside and tells him to take care of himself, using the advice from airplane safety videos: You have to put on your own mask before you help others. The implication is that by constantly reliving the accident, Reggie is re-traumatizing himself rather than healing.

Technology and phone ads often glorify multitasking. It drives Reggie crazy. In 2012, Reggie sees a commercial featuring a woman getting into her car while bragging about her phone’s features. Even AT&T, which eventually takes a firm stance against texting while driving in 2013, sometimes features cars in ads.

The lessons of distracted attention research seem not to have produced the right results. The science shows that the problem is conversation—interaction with a person who is not fully in the car with the driver. But carmakers have instead decided to focus on the distraction of hands-on technology. Now, they build cards with touch-screen features that allow drivers to remain connected in a hands-free way. But a 2013 study by Dr. Strayer and Dr. Gazzaley shows that voice-activated commands are “more dangerous for drivers than talking on a phone, even a handheld one” (372).

In 2010, Department of Transportation pilot studies in two cities show that rigorous texting and driving laws resulted in a decline in phone use. By 2014, 12 states have bans on texting and driving.

In March 2014, Terryl is appointed to the Utah State Board of Education.

Drs. Stayer, Gazzaley, and Atchley team up to study the power of nature to restore brains from periods of overstimulation.