1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 The usual wager? 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Sure, the loser cleans the shop, right? 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Yeah. 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Okay. 5 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:11,000 Count it in. 6 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,000 I'm ready. 7 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,000 Three, two... 8 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:16,000 One. 9 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Hey, wait a second. 10 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:23,000 There we go. 11 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,000 Hello. 12 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,000 Hi, Mom. 13 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,000 No, no, not you, not you. 14 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Don't it... 15 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000 Hold on, Mom, it's not really the best time for me to talk. 16 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 I'm sorry. 17 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000 It's all right. 18 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,000 I'm sorry. 19 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,000 I'm sorry. 20 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,000 I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 21 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000 It's time for me to talk. 22 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,000 Ah! 23 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Saturday? 24 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Hold on, Mom, hold on. 25 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,000 I gotta go, I gotta go. 26 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Okay, I'll talk to you later. 27 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,000 Ah! 28 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,000 I lost. 29 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,000 You're looking a little distracted there. 30 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,000 Yeah, but I did pretty good in reverse. 31 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Ah, all right. 32 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Ha ha ha. 33 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,000 Ha ha ha. 34 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:37,000 All right, sir. 35 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,000 Time to get your racing gloves on. 36 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,000 We have an entire episode that puts the word dangerous 37 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,000 into the phrase, dangerous driving. 38 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:44,000 Like what? 39 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,000 Well, we've got a Hollywood car chase story to tackle 40 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,000 that driving at high speed through traffic 41 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000 evading your enemies in reverse is easy. 42 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,000 But first up, we have a story all about the dangers 43 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,000 of driving while talking on your cell phone. 44 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,000 Well, there's law against that, 45 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,000 at least as far as holding it in your hand. 46 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,000 Exactly, but what is the solution 47 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,000 for someone who wants to talk on their phone? 48 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,000 Hands-free? 49 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,000 Hello? 50 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000 Yep, but there's a myth 51 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,000 that there is no improvement in safety 52 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,000 by holding hands-free versus holding on to your phone, 53 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,000 that they both distract you just as much. 54 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,000 And I think we should test that. 55 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Absolutely. 56 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Talking on a handheld phone leaves a driver 57 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,000 both mentally and physically compromised. 58 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Going hands-free does eliminate half the problem. 59 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,000 But with the other half still there, 60 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,000 some say that it's just as dangerous. 61 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,000 To find out, the Mythbusters crew 62 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,000 have constructed a classified course 63 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,000 designed by drive expert Dave Storten. 64 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,000 The first section here is a slalom, 65 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,000 so that's going to test their steering ability 66 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,000 while talking on the phone. 67 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,000 Right now, Adam and Jamie are being deliberately kept in the dark. 68 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:03,000 Coming out of the slalom, 69 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,000 they'll immediately have to get on the brakes 70 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,000 for a low-speed exercise called the offset lane. 71 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,000 Because any pre-existing knowledge of the route 72 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,000 could discredit their data. 73 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,000 Once through that, we'll head over to what's called a T-box. 74 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Instead, all they know is that they must stick to the speed limits 75 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:27,000 and not clip any cones if they're to achieve a perfect score. 76 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,000 Right. 77 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,000 If you bolt the two together, 78 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,000 maybe some sticky tape in the middle, 79 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,000 and that should totally... 80 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on. 81 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,000 I got a thing to do. 82 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:36,000 Okay, wait right there. 83 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Okay, so while we know that driving in a car 84 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,000 while holding onto a cell phone and talking is bad, 85 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,000 sorry that wasn't for you, 86 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,000 the myth is that driving hands-free is just as bad. 87 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,000 That there is no difference between hands-full and hands-free. 88 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,000 And we are just about to test it on the course behind me. 89 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,000 I can see it from a distance, 90 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,000 but that's as close as I'm going to get 91 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,000 because my ignorance of this course is intrinsic to our test. 92 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,000 Like Adam, Jamie's also going that extra mile 93 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,000 to make sure their science is sound. 94 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,000 Adam's going to run this test twice. 95 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,000 First with the phone held in his hand, 96 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,000 and then secondly, hands-free. 97 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Then I'm also going to run the test twice, 98 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,000 but I'm going to do it in the inverse order. 99 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 The idea here is that we're going to be able to remove any bias 100 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,000 as far as learning and getting better 101 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,000 every time we do the test. 102 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Indeed. 103 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,000 And while Adam warms up in the test car... 104 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,000 Brigger, brigger, we got a 5x5 and an MTV. 105 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,000 I'll take care of it. 106 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,000 Jamie sits down in mission control. 107 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,000 All right, I've got my questions. 108 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,000 I've got my phone. 109 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,000 We'll see what we can do to mess with Adam's world. 110 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,000 Hello, sir. Hello. 111 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,000 With Dave riding shotgun to mark Adam's moves, 112 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,000 it's time to hold the phone. 113 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Hello. 114 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Hello, Adam. 115 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,000 I've got my questions ready for you, and we're good to go. 116 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 Three, two, one. Here we go. 117 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,000 Okay, so if you could compete with the Olympics, 118 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,000 what event would you want to be in? 119 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,000 If I could compete with the Olympics, I would... 120 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:14,000 Hold on a second. 121 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,000 There we go. 122 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Hold on, sorry. 123 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,000 I think I would do the luge. 124 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:24,000 It requires, I think, the least amount of physical acuity. 125 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:25,000 Okay, that's great. 126 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,000 Now, I need you to add the first two given numbers 127 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 and then add the next number to the last number given. 128 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,000 Okay. 129 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:34,000 Eight and seven. 130 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,000 Eight and seven equals 15. 131 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:38,000 Okay, three. 132 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:41,000 Ten. 133 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Excellent. 134 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,000 Okay, for the next test, I'm going to read you a list of words 135 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,000 and ask you to repeat them in reverse order. 136 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,000 Hold on a second. 137 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,000 Now, at this point, you might be wondering about the complexity 138 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,000 of the questions we are asking each other while driving. 139 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,000 Flamethrower, fire hydrant, water. 140 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Why aren't we just reading war and peace over the phone? 141 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,000 Water, fire hydrant, flamethrower. 142 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,000 Well, each of our questions falls into a category 143 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,000 that activates the cognitive portions of the brain. 144 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 General knowledge, which country has the longest coastline? 145 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,000 The longest coastline of any country, China, 146 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,000 all require the driver to use the part of their brain to listen. 147 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,000 At the same time as they're trying to use another part of their brain to drive. 148 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Adam isn't being judged on how well he answers the questions. 149 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Add one and seven. 150 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Hold on. 151 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,000 This is ten. 152 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,000 It's how well he's driving. 153 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,000 That's the only metric. 154 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa. 155 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,000 And the answer to that is not very well. 156 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Hold on. 157 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Sorry. 158 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:48,000 The combination of one hand on the wheel and a brain that's multi-tasking 159 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,000 into meltdown means that by the end of the test, 160 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,000 Adam's flunked with flying colors. 161 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:55,000 Jamie, I'm done. 162 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,000 That was awful. 163 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:03,000 Well, let's reset and see whether you're still a menace on the next one. 164 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,000 All right. 165 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,000 Okay. 166 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Well, I completed my first test and talking on the phone was absolutely awful. 167 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,000 And then the car stopped working. 168 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:25,000 So we are actually going to transfer all of the cameras and microphones from inside this car 169 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:30,000 to one of our production vehicles, and I'm going to run the test a second time, hands-free. 170 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,000 I mean, we still consider my first test valid. 171 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,000 I just have to do the second one in a different car. 172 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:39,000 So while the team pushes on, what else is on the docket? 173 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,000 So driving in reverse. 174 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,000 Paint me a picture. 175 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,000 Well, look, our hero, let's say, is driving down a one-way street. 176 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,000 He thinks he's home-free, but blocking his path is a villain in a car. 177 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,000 He's got nowhere to go, so using the only avenue open to him, 178 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,000 the hero throws the car into reverse and backs up, 179 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:02,000 bobbing and weaving through traffic at high speed to eventually evade his chase. 180 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,000 And you want to know if this is possible? 181 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:05,000 I totally do. 182 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,000 We've been trained to drive in a lot of different ways over the years, 183 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,000 but backwards isn't one of them, and it involves a lot of different skills, 184 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:16,000 not only driving ability and spatial awareness, but also really proprioception. 185 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,000 Yeah, yeah, let's get to driving. 186 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,000 Okay. 187 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:29,000 Beautiful day. 188 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,000 Wide open, empty runway. 189 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,000 The conditions are perfect. 190 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000 Oh, wait, we need a car. 191 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:47,000 You ordered a car? 192 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:48,000 Indeed I did, sir. 193 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,000 Perfect timing. 194 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,000 Now the movies are packed with people who can drive well, 195 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:02,000 but they would lead you to believe that you could drive forward or reverse however you choose. 196 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,000 We're constantly seeing our movie heroes racing away from the bad guys, 197 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,000 avoiding obstacles and driving all over the place with the rear end of the car 198 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,000 facing the direction that they are actually going. 199 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,000 But before trying out any twists or turns... 200 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,000 And that's a quarter mile. 201 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:26,000 The guys first want to know if cars can even reverse Hollywood fast in real life. 202 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,000 And for that, they're hitting the straightaway. 203 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,000 We've set up a course that's measured, and we're going to test out these cars, 204 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:38,000 see how fast they go in forward, and compare that to how fast they go in reverse. 205 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,000 Alright, Mr. Hanuman, are you ready? 206 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,000 I'm good to go. 207 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:50,000 Alright, commence, quarter mile test in 3, 2, 1, go. 208 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,000 Here we go. 209 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,000 80 miles per hour. 210 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:08,000 It's a good start for their converted cab, but how will that speed compare when it's back to front? 211 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 Most cars you're ever going to run into have only one reverse gear, 212 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:15,000 which means that the top speed of your car in reverse is ultimately limited 213 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,000 by the reverse gearing and the speed at which the engine is turning over. 214 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:23,000 Now, will our car be able to go as fast as they seem to go in the movies? 215 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,000 That is just what we're about to find out. 216 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:32,000 Okay, commence backwards, quarter mile in 3, 2, 1, go. 217 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,000 Jamie's off, but from the get-go, it's clear that he's less fast and furious. 218 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,000 And more driving Miss Daisy. 219 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,000 But that's because he's using this run to get his eye in. 220 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:54,000 31 miles per hour. I think he can do better. I think he's got more. 221 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Yep, it's test two, where the rubber will meet the road. 222 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 Okay, Adam, I'm in place and ready to go in reverse. 223 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,000 As Jamie this time plans to put the pedal to the metal. 224 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,000 Alright, Mr. Hanuman, in 3, 2, 1, go. 225 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:21,000 49-50, 52, 53. 226 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,000 54 miles per hour. 227 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,000 Now that's more like it. 228 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Reaching freeway speeds is more than a match for a Hollywood hero. 229 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,000 But it's not all good news. 230 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000 The trick with driving at a high speed in reverse was to not do very much. 231 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,000 Just kind of hold still and try and keep the car in a straight line. 232 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,000 But unfortunately, we're not going to have that option now 233 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,000 because now we've got to drive through a slalom in reverse. 234 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:53,000 And that's all about steering. That's going to be really hard. 235 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,000 Still to come. 236 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Back up the Loni gets a movie makeover. 237 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Yeah! 238 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,000 And, hello. 239 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,000 Hands free goes high tech. 240 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Ah! 241 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Is driving at speed in reverse as easy as the movies may count? 242 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000 Well, not if Adam's straight line test... 243 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,000 Coming up fast... 244 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,000 ...is anything to go by. 245 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,000 Whoa! 246 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,000 There are a couple of reasons that cars are difficult to drive at high speed in reverse. 247 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 Yeah, you started to lose it at about 50. 248 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,000 And the first is that the steering is not self-centering. 249 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:49,000 If you let go of the wheel of a car going forward for just a second, 250 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,000 it'll tend to self-correct because of the offset of the wheels. 251 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,000 If you're going in reverse, it does the opposite. 252 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,000 If you let go of that wheel, they're going to go hard to the side, 253 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,000 and you're going to do a 180, and that's dangerous. 254 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,000 If you don't correct a little too much, you're going to lose it. 255 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,000 The other thing is all about perspective. 256 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,000 When you're going forwards with your head in a line with the steering wheel, 257 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,000 driving is really intuitive. 258 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,000 But in reverse, you're either looking into the mirror or over your shoulder, 259 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,000 meaning your brain's having to make complex decisions from a viewpoint 260 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,000 that it's just not used to. 261 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:26,000 And so, when things go wrong, you're going to flip the car or something back. 262 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Given their struggles on the straightaway, 263 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,000 today's test looks terrifying. 264 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,000 This is what we call the diving in at the deep end test. 265 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 We've got a course that's full of the kind of challenges a Hollywood hero has to face, 266 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:45,000 and we're going to see if we can reverse through it at high speeds without crashing. 267 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,000 This is why we have insurance. 268 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 It's a course that a movie maestro would finish in a flash. 269 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,000 But how will the mythbusters manage? 270 00:13:54,000 --> 00:14:04,000 All right, first run in three, two, one, go. 271 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,000 Adam's off. 272 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,000 And from the outset, he's ignoring the mirrors. 273 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,000 Oh, there goes a cone. 274 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,000 And going with the over-the-shoulder technique. 275 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:19,000 Ah! 276 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,000 But it's hardly paying dividends. 277 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:30,000 Because not only does poor steering cripple his cone count, 278 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:39,000 but his slow speed means his time is terrible. 279 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,000 How did I do? 280 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000 One minute, seven seconds. 281 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,000 One minute, seven seconds? 282 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,000 I'll tell you what that does. 283 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,000 It wreaks havoc on my neck. 284 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,000 Well, I had a couple of scrubs on that one. 285 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:03,000 It's very hard to gauge how hard you need to hit a turn in reverse, 286 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:08,000 because all of your metrics for reaction in terms of how the car moves are way off kilter. 287 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,000 It's a far more sensitive device in reverse. 288 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:18,000 Indeed, but can Jamie master the method and reverse this myth's fortunes? 289 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:20,000 All right, cowboy, here we go. 290 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,000 And three, two, one, go. 291 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,000 I love that this is our job. 292 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:33,000 Unlike Adam, Jamie's using the mirrors and the over-the-shoulder system, 293 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,000 but it's not a winning combination. 294 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Because his crash course is even worse than Adam's. 295 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:52,000 But eventually he crawls to the finish line in a sluggish 72 seconds. 296 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,000 Which is not good news for the myth. 297 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Okay, you win. 298 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,000 But all is not lost. 299 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,000 Look, there is no doubt this test was hard. 300 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,000 The course was difficult and we are at the novice end of the reverse driving spectrum, 301 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,000 but with some expert training, will we be able to bring this myth back from the brink? 302 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,000 That's what's next. 303 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:26,000 Actually, not quite, because next the guys are jumping ship back to Alameda. 304 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,000 To find out if hands-free is as distracting as holding the phone, 305 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,000 Adam started with a hands-full control. 306 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,000 That went so badly, his car refused to continue. 307 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,000 So it's out with the old, and in with the new. 308 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,000 But will going hands-free really be just as bad? 309 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,000 Why hello, this is Adam. 310 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,000 Well, hello there, Adam. 311 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,000 Should I start driving? 312 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Yes, go ahead. 313 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:09,000 Like last time, Adam must complete the course while answering questions both easy. 314 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,000 Okay, on which continent is the Sahara Desert? 315 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,000 The Sahara Desert is on the African continent. 316 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,000 And hard. 317 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,000 If Buster walks halfway around a circle and then turns around and walks halfway back, 318 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,000 is he now back where he started? 319 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,000 Yes, he is. 320 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:26,000 No, he's halfway back. 321 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,000 Okay. 322 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:35,000 But despite the obvious burden on his brain, his driving has got better. 323 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,000 And although a clipped cone sees him marked down. 324 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,000 Sorry, I just hit something. 325 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,000 His final score has improved. 326 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,000 But was it due to the phone? 327 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Well, I've completed my hands-free run of our driving course, and I did it a lot better. 328 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,000 But here's the thing. 329 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:02,000 I found taking the questions from Jamie just as distracting as I did the first time. 330 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:09,000 I feel like my better performance on the second test could be chalked up to just understanding the course a little bit better. 331 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:13,000 But that's why Jamie's gonna start hands-free and then go to hands-full. 332 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:18,000 If that is an effect, we should cancel it out by changing the order that we do the test in. 333 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:19,000 That's theory anyway. 334 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,000 Want to see what you can do with it? 335 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,000 I'm gonna suck, I can tell you already. 336 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:33,000 Not only will Jamie increase their sample size, but by going hands-free first... 337 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,000 Jamie and I almost never actually speak on the phone. 338 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,000 So this actually has a bit of novelty to me. 339 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:42,000 The guys are trying to eliminate any course-learning bias. 340 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,000 This is Jamie. 341 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,000 Ah, good afternoon, Jamie. It's Adam. 342 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,000 Go ahead and start driving, and I'm gonna start asking you some questions. 343 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,000 Adam starts with a simple icebreaker. 344 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:02,000 All right, hey Jamie, if you could wake up tomorrow and gain any single quality or ability, what would it be and why? 345 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:05,000 I could fly. 346 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,000 Why? 347 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,000 But even that proves too much for Jamie. 348 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,000 Well, because then I could go... 349 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,000 What was the question again? 350 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Why would you like to fly? 351 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,000 Well, because that would... 352 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:25,000 Hey, we saved a lot of gasoline actually, and you know, I could... 353 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,000 Oh, look at that, I bumped over a whole bunch of things. 354 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,000 With no improvement over the rest of the course... 355 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,000 I'd like you to add the numbers 4 and 7. 356 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,000 Let's see... 357 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000 4 and 7... 358 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,000 Tic-tac grandpa. 359 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,000 10. 360 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,000 Or now 11. 361 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,000 Jamie scores the worst result of the day. 362 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,000 A disappointing 66. 363 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,000 That was awesome. 364 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,000 He starts every answer with, let's see. 365 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:03,000 I'm sure I was doing the same things, but it's very enjoyable to listen to someone so distracted. 366 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,000 A quick reset later, and they're set for the fourth and final run. 367 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:10,000 Hello. 368 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,000 All right, start your driving. 369 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,000 Jamie hands full. 370 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:17,000 I'm going to read you a list of words and ask you to repeat them in a reverse order. 371 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,000 Crash, burn, demolish. 372 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,000 Demolish, burn, crash. 373 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,000 EMT ambulance doctor. 374 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,000 Quite a narrative implied by these. 375 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,000 Doctor, ambulance, EMT. 376 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,000 Yes. 377 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:39,000 Despite having only one hand on the wheel and swapping the phone mid-drive, Jamie scores 72. 378 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:43,000 A fail by some distance, but an improvement nonetheless. 379 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,000 So what does this mean for the myth? 380 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:55,000 Okay, now for this myth to be true, Jamie's hands free score had to match his hands full score, and so did mine, but that didn't quite happen. 381 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,000 Graphics, help me out. 382 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:07,000 You can see that I drove better hands free while Jamie drove better hands full, but that data also shows that we both improved on our second runs because we had experience of the course. 383 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:13,000 Now, if we remove that bias by averaging Jamie's and my data, what do we get? 384 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:18,000 Beautiful, near identical scores for each of the two techniques. 385 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,000 But we are not done yet for two particular reasons. 386 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,000 One, our course isn't very real world. 387 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,000 For starters, there's no traffic. 388 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,000 Second, and perhaps more importantly, is Jamie's and my driving abilities. 389 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:35,000 We've both received tons of training over the years in lots of different driving techniques. 390 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:42,000 We are quite far from your average Joe's, and that is what we need next. 391 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,000 Three, two, one, go! 392 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Now, Jamie and I have already gone pretty far teaching ourselves the rudiments of driving in reverse. 393 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,000 But if we're going to get really good at this, we're going to need to get trained by an expert. 394 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,000 Luckily, we have an expert in reverse tactical driving, right here. 395 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,000 Hello, sir. Hello. 396 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:21,000 Brian Frazier is a trainer at the Emergency Vehicle Operations course here in California. 397 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:29,000 Now, we've used him repeatedly over past years, whenever we've had to learn how to deal with a particularly difficult driving situation. 398 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:34,000 And driving at speed in reverse certainly qualifies. 399 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,000 Alright, Brian, where do we start? 400 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,000 We're going to put a barrel here, two barrels here, one on each side of the car. 401 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,000 Alright. 402 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Brian's first job is to ignore the current course. 403 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,000 Right there is good. Good in the car. 404 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,000 That's why we can't have nice things. 405 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:55,000 And set up something way more straightforward. 406 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,000 Alright, that's the course. Now what do we do? 407 00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,000 Drive it. 408 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,000 Okay, let's go. 409 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,000 Because the technique he's going to teach is surprisingly simple. 410 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,000 So I'm going to change my seating position now. 411 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:16,000 I'm going to prop myself up, loosen my seat belt, turn yourself as far as you can around, get your body almost in the center of the car. 412 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:21,000 Okay. I'm going to steer the car now with one hand, but this hand will never leave the steering wheel. 413 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:25,000 Not the gun that can let the steering wheel shift in your hand to lock. 414 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,000 You're palming the wheel the entire time. 415 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,000 I see. Okay, cool. 416 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,000 And believe it or not, that's apparently all there is to it. 417 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:37,000 Three, two, one, go. 418 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:42,000 By shifting his body to the center of the car. 419 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,000 Wow. 420 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:50,000 And keeping one hand on the wheel at all times. 421 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,000 Wow, I can't believe how fast we're able to do this. 422 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:59,000 Brian speeds through the course at an impressive 41 miles per hour. 423 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,000 That is amazing. 424 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:08,000 So Brian just showed me that something I thought was impossible is in fact totally possible. 425 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,000 So I'm about to give that a shot. 426 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,000 This is going to be cool. 427 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:20,000 Like Brian, Adam slides to the center to give a viewpoint that's easier to process. 428 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,000 Oh, look at that. 429 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:23,000 Okay, so. 430 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Three, two, one. 431 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:32,000 And like Brian, he then nails the course. 432 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,000 Oh, that's so cool. 433 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:39,000 To check it wasn't just beginner's luck, he tries again and goes even faster. 434 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:40,000 Awesome. 435 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,000 I gotta say, this is amazing. 436 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,000 When we got here this morning, I thought Adam was going to be training for four, five, maybe six hours. 437 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,000 But it's not been like that at all. 438 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:55,000 Instead, in just 20 minutes, he's gone from being pretty average to being pretty great. 439 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:04,000 And it seems to be all down to the central head position, which seems to be letting Adam's brain process the direction to turn much more accurately. 440 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:08,000 So we're going to put him back on our original course to see how he does now. 441 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,000 Should be interesting. 442 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,000 It's the course that guys couldn't crack. 443 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,000 So you're ready to put what you learned into practice? 444 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:23,000 I am. In fact, I can't wait to try this course now. 445 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:29,000 Three, two, one, go. 446 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:34,000 But with his 20 minutes of training, let Adam turn it around. 447 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,000 It's off to a good start. 448 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Turns are a lot smoother this time. He's looking really good. 449 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 Yeah. 450 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,000 Well, yeah, he's moving pretty quick. 451 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,000 I'm doing good. 452 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Yeah. 453 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,000 Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me how it did. 454 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,000 57.25. 455 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000 Boom. That was cool. 456 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:03,000 It's close to an astounding result with just two minor modifications. 457 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,000 Yeah. 458 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Adam's bettered his best by over 15%. 459 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,000 All right. Guess it's time to bring on the next event. 460 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:16,000 And what that means is it's time for some real life movie mayhem. 461 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:21,000 But first, hold the phone. 462 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:31,000 Because in driving distracted, neither Adam nor Jamie could drive safely while talking hands-free. 463 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:47,000 But now in a location way more sophisticated, it's time to up the ante. 464 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:53,000 Jamie and I have realized we need much more controlled, scientific and realistic conditions, 465 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:59,000 which is why we've come here to enlist the help of the experts at the Stanford University Automotive Innovation Facility. 466 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:04,000 When we asked for their help in getting more realistic, they showed us a virtual world. 467 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,000 Come here. 468 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,000 This is their state-of-the-art driving simulator. 469 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:10,000 It is awesome. 470 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:16,000 From the front seat of this car, you are completely immersed in a world controlled and designed by a computer, 471 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:22,000 into which we can add all sorts of traffic, pedestrians, obstacles and surprises for all of our test subjects. 472 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,000 That's right, many, many test subjects while we get to the bottom of this myth. 473 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,000 It's a multi-million dollar machine. 474 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:35,000 All right then, going for a drive in the simulator. 475 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,000 Which Jamie can't resist turning up to 11. 476 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:40,000 Okay, here we go. 477 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,000 I want to go the other way. 478 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,000 Whoa! 479 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,000 This is crazy. 480 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:49,000 Ah! 481 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:53,000 Ha ha ha ha! 482 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:58,000 Crazy driving aside, this driving simulator is actually very good. 483 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,000 Yeah, get out of here. 484 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:12,000 The way the screen wraps around, the visuals are convincing enough that you have to remind yourself that this isn't a real driving scenario. 485 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,000 He's doing like 95, interesting. 486 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,000 Let's see how he likes this. 487 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:25,000 In fact, it's so good that I was starting to get a little carsick. 488 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:32,000 So, I think as far as testing distracted driving, it's as good a simulation as we're going to get. 489 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:40,000 As well as the freeway, there's also a detailed cityscape. 490 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,000 I guess I better put it in reverse. 491 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,000 So that all driving environments are tested. 492 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:50,000 Ha ha ha ha! 493 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:57,000 The 30 volunteer drivers will be judged on whether they pay attention to the GPS instructions. 494 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,000 At the next intersection, turn left. 495 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000 And whether or not they crash. 496 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,000 Ah! 497 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:10,000 But that's not the only data, because drivers will also wear the latest in eye tracking technology. 498 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:15,000 This eye tracking system records precisely where and how long I'm looking at something. 499 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:21,000 Now, that's going to give us hard data as to the level of distraction that I'm experiencing while I'm driving. 500 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:26,000 With Eagle Eye Jamie all wired up, he's going to be the first data of the day. 501 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,000 Alright, calling him now. 502 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,000 Starting after the break. 503 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Hello. 504 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,000 Using a phone on the road is bad news. 505 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,000 But he's going hands free just as foolish. 506 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:55,000 To find out, the Mythbusters have a simulator that's second to none. 507 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:56,000 Ha ha ha! 508 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,000 I love this thing. 509 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,000 Alright, calling him now. 510 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,000 And a Heinemann that's got his hands full. 511 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:04,000 Hello. 512 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,000 Good morning, Mr. Heinemann. 513 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,000 Are you ready to start this test? 514 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:08,000 I'm ready. 515 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:13,000 Okay, kick the car into drive, start driving, and I'll start asking you some questions. 516 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,000 The questions are similar to those posed before. 517 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,000 Did you play a musical instrument as a child, Jamie? 518 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:27,000 I had a tuba in the bathroom right next to the toilet that I would play when I was doing number two or something. 519 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,000 Ha ha ha ha! 520 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:34,000 But what's interesting is that on the freeway, speed underwater camera. 521 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,000 Jamie's driving. 522 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,000 Hold on, yeah, somebody just pulled in front of me. 523 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,000 And answers... 524 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,000 Camera under water speed. 525 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,000 ...are surprisingly solid. 526 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:49,000 In fact, it's only when he hits the streets, 12 and 7, that he starts to waver. 527 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,000 Okay, uh... 528 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,000 Let's see, 19. 529 00:30:55,000 --> 00:31:01,000 With so many distractions, it's no surprise when Jamie takes a turn for the worse. 530 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,000 At the next intersection, turn left. 531 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,000 Jamie, you have taken a wrong turn. 532 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,000 And that means that the test is over, you have failed. 533 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:14,000 Okay. 534 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:19,000 With no rest for the wicked, Jamie immediately moves on to the hands-free test. 535 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,000 Hello. 536 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:24,000 What is the longest running race in the Olympic Games called? 537 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:31,000 The longest running race in the Olympic Games is called a marathon. 538 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,000 A marathon? 539 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,000 Marathon. 540 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:35,000 You mean marathon? 541 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,000 Okay. 542 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:46,000 Once again, Jamie's focused on the freeway, but struggles in the city, as his brain tries to process the traffic and the conversation. 543 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,000 The earth is located in what galaxy? 544 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Uh, the... 545 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,000 Um... 546 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,000 You know, I don't know the answer to that question. 547 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Like last time... 548 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,000 At the next intersection, turn left. 549 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,000 Jamie doesn't crash, but he does ignore the GPS. 550 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Oh, sorry. 551 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,000 I screwed this up. 552 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,000 Meaning he's failed again. 553 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:17,000 Well, the long and the short of it is that Jamie has done this test twice in our virtual environment, once holding the phone, once hands-free, and he has failed both times. 554 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,000 It's looking pretty good for this, but we are not leaving it here. 555 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:31,000 No, no, no, we're going to funnel a whole bunch of volunteers through this testing procedure to get some real numbers to back up our potential conclusion. 556 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:40,000 First of the 30 volunteers is Tiffany, who will be driving hands full. 557 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:46,000 The first thing I want to know is what musical instrument you played as a child. 558 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:47,000 None. 559 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,000 On the freeway, her driving is solid. 560 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Logic questions. 561 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,000 And her answers are perfect. 562 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,000 Name four days to start with the letter T. 563 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,000 Today, tomorrow, Tuesday, and Thursday. 564 00:32:58,000 --> 00:32:59,000 Excellent. 565 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:04,000 But moments after hitting the city, how much of your case? 566 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:07,000 Uh-oh. 567 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,000 We just ran down a cyclist. 568 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,000 This test is over. 569 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:15,000 Next up is Michael. 570 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:16,000 Hello? 571 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,000 And hands-free, he's fine on the freeway. 572 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:24,000 What is something you have at home that you should throw away, but you can't? 573 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:26,000 Oh, my old computer. 574 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,000 I still have one that got built in like 95. 575 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,000 But deadly downtown. 576 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,000 Which country? 577 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:39,000 Oh, I believe that might be the end of our test there, Michael. 578 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,000 Where did that come from? 579 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,000 Thank you very much, sir. 580 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,000 When the next four volunteers also crash and burn. 581 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,000 It's looking good for the myth. 582 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,000 Stop the car and please license and registration. 583 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:04,000 And although driver seven does make it through the course intact. 584 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,000 All right. 585 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:06,000 Congratulations. 586 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,000 You have successfully completed the test. 587 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:13,000 Nearly all other drivers, whatever their phone fashion, either get lost. 588 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:19,000 Ron, I am sorry to inform you that you have now missed a turn and thus the test is over. 589 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,000 Or worse. 590 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:25,000 Oh, we had a crash, didn't we? 591 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,000 Undeterred, the guys plow on through two full days of testing. 592 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,000 And when volunteer 30 takes dramatic evasive action. 593 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000 I suck at this. 594 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,000 The guys have all the data they could hope for. 595 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,000 All right, we have run a lot of volunteers through this experiment. 596 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,000 We've got a lot of data to take a look at. 597 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:48,000 So it's time to leave this virtual world, drive through the real world, 598 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,000 back to our shop and crunch the numbers. 599 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,000 No way. 600 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:57,000 They said that. 601 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,000 That is hilarious. 602 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:00,000 Hold on just a second. 603 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:01,000 What? 604 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,000 We were waiting for the results on distracted driving. 605 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,000 Okay. 606 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,000 I got to call you back. 607 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:07,000 Yes, we have results. 608 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:12,000 We tested 30 drivers out in Stanford, 15 hands full, 15 hands free. 609 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,000 Here is the result. 610 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:17,000 Hands full, one passed, five failed by driving the wrong way, 611 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,000 nine failed by crashing. 612 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000 Hands free, one passed, six failed by getting lost, 613 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,000 and eight failed by crashing. 614 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:25,000 What's that mean statistically? 615 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Statistically it means no difference. 616 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:29,000 And what about eye tracking? 617 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,000 The eye tracker was very interesting. 618 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:36,000 Across all 30 drivers, the amount of time they spent looking at something other than the road 619 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:40,000 was identical between hands free and hands full. 620 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,000 Well, there you have it. 621 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,000 Don't use your cell phone while you're driving. 622 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:45,000 Yeah, I'm done. 623 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,000 Okay, so where do you want to meet for lunch? 624 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,000 Absolutely. 625 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,000 Coming right up, the guys rev in reverse. 626 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,000 Yeah! 627 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,000 For a confounding conclusion. 628 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:04,000 Ah! 629 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,000 There's a problem. 630 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,000 We can't catch a break today. 631 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:20,000 We just rolled up the windows because the wind's so diabolical, 632 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,000 and we locked the keys inside. 633 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:28,000 Luckily, for once there's a cop around when you need them. 634 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:32,000 Hey! 635 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:33,000 See you. 636 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:38,000 Mythbusters, repossessing cars since 1979. 637 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:44,000 Come on. 638 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:50,000 It's all about reverse driving in this episode, 639 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,000 and how easy it is versus how easy Hollywood makes it seem. 640 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:54,000 Whoa! 641 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,000 Jamie and I have tried out some courses ourselves. 642 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:04,000 We've been trained by a cop who's an expert in driving in reverse. 643 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:05,000 Here we go. 644 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:06,000 Three, two. 645 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:07,000 Reverse. 646 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,000 Oh, there we go. 647 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:09,000 Thank you. 648 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,000 So now it's time for me to take all the skills I've thus far learned 649 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,000 and put them to a real test. 650 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,000 I'm here in an abandoned neighborhood in Marina, California, 651 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,000 where my crew has set up a course, 652 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:23,000 and I'm just supposed to drive as fast as I can in reverse. 653 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,000 I'm actually pretty curious how this is going to turn out. 654 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,000 This final farewell is a half mile of twists and turns, 655 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,000 but it's got a whole lot more besides. 656 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,000 As the guys have put the movie mayhem back into this myth, 657 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:41,000 and that's not just the props. 658 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:43,000 We're going to put a little pressure on Adam, 659 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:47,000 because I'm going to be in a cop car on his ass the whole way 660 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,000 with the sole exception that when he sees me and takes off, 661 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,000 I'm going to be outside my car. 662 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,000 So he's going to have just a little bit of a head start. 663 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,000 Adam's goal, like the classic Hollywood hero, 664 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,000 is to make a living. 665 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:05,000 The classic Hollywood hero is to make it to the finish line 666 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,000 before those pesky police. 667 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000 That is a cop. That's bad. 668 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:12,000 But with reverse gear, his only option 669 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,000 will he escape to victory. 670 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,000 Here we go. Bye cop. 671 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,000 The chase is on. 672 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,000 Here we go. Getting the heck out of here. 673 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,000 And by the time Jamie's got going, 674 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Adam's already out of sight. 675 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,000 I'm going to make a right hand turn here. 676 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,000 Don't let go of that wheel. 677 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,000 By shifting to the central position, 678 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,000 he's able to navigate with skill. 679 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,000 Whoa, flaming car. 680 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,000 Dude. Oh, man. 681 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,000 Close to the block clubs. 682 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,000 At least when he wants to. 683 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,000 I want those boxes. Come on. Yeah. 684 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,000 But while his steering is supreme, 685 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,000 I don't know where he is. 686 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,000 I hope he's not close. 687 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,000 His speed, while fast, is no match for Jamie. 688 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,000 Oh, fruit stand. 689 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,000 I'm not going to miss the fruit stand. 690 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,000 Ah! 691 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,000 Ah! 692 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,000 Adam may be down, 693 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:17,000 but he's not out as he reverses back uphill. 694 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,000 Ah! I'm going still. 695 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,000 A strategy that the Heinemann then copies. 696 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,000 With both drivers now revving in reverse, 697 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,000 it's a case of booze going to blink first. 698 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,000 Oh! 699 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,000 Yet another in a long line of things 700 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,000 that we should just set up for the public 701 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,000 and charge money for. 702 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,000 That was awesome. 703 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,000 Step out of the car with your hands up. 704 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,000 Oh, man. 705 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,000 I'm going to get out of here. 706 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,000 I'm going to get out of here. 707 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,000 Oh! 708 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,000 Ah! 709 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,000 That was so much fun. 710 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,000 Oh, my God. 711 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,000 That was the best thing ever. 712 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:06,000 Well, that went pretty much as good as I could have imagined. 713 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,000 First off, the course was amazing, 714 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,000 full of all sorts of really interesting obstacles, 715 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,000 from fruit stands to dudes fixing their cars, 716 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,000 to, come on, a flaming car. 717 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,000 I also was able to go through it really fast. 718 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,000 I mean, fast enough where I almost lost control of the car 719 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:23,000 on a couple of the straightaways. 720 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,000 It started fishtailing, but because of Brian's training, 721 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,000 I was able to bring the car back under control. 722 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,000 Oh! 723 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,000 Almost lost control there. 724 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,000 Then, I actually spun out and Jamie hit me, 725 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,000 but again, in reverse, I bolted back up the hill 726 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,000 and Jamie chased me, and it was all going pretty good. 727 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,000 But I was going too fast on the accelerator, 728 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,000 and I spun out, he jammed into my front wheel 729 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,000 and I could not move. 730 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Test over. 731 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:54,000 So, how do you want to call it? 732 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,000 I have to say, I started this story thinking 733 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,000 it was going to be handily busted, 734 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,000 and I am now thinking that it's actually plausible. 735 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,000 It's not unreasonable how much speed and maneuverability 736 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,000 you can get going in reverse. 737 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,000 Yeah, I mean, both of us, I think, 738 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:12,000 if we had our choice, would go, you know, front-forward. 739 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,000 Yeah. 740 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,000 It's a better option, but surprising how good it can be. 741 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,000 Let's call it plausible. 742 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:20,000 Alright. 743 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,000 I'm going to drive forward home though. 744 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,000 If you can.