A ‘sixth sense’ may protect drivers, except while texting

A coping mechanism that keeps part of the brain’s attention on the road and the steering wheel lets experienced drivers tolerate many mental stresses and distractions, researchers say, but texting breaks that built-in auto-pilot. 

In experiments using a driving simulator, drivers distracted by complex or emotional questions constantly compensated for erroneous steering reactions. But the same adaptability did not kick in for drivers distracted by texting, the study found.