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