Contrary to popular belief, the human brain cannot multitask activities that require thought, focus, and concentration such as driving, texting and talking. When attempting to multitask two or more of these activities, the brain is actually switching back and forth between each task. This ‘thought switching’ actually affects how our body moves and processes information. Everyone in the waste industry is very busy and pressed for time. Don’t become a statistic!
A recent study evaluated the body movement of people while they texted and walked. When participants were texting and walking:
- it affected their balance
- they walked slower
- had difficulty walking in a straight line
- moved their neck less frequently
All of these can be related to driving a trash truck, operating equipment or walking on a tipping floor. Losing track of your surroundings, inadvertently driving too slow (increasing the change of being rear-ended), drifting left or right in the roadway and not properly scanning the road ahead all create unnecessary danger on the road for you and others.
Focus on the task at hand!
