Abstract
This paper describes a study to investigate whether legal everyday occurrences which take place while driving a vehicle, such as holding a conversation or being under the influence of a low dose of alcohol, reduce the scope of the driver's visual field. Also investigated was whether the effect was related to driving experience. Significant differences in the average reaction time were seen between control and conversation groups of subjects, and also between the control and the alcohol groups. This difference was enhanced when the groups were subdivided into experienced and less experienced drivers. The driver under the influence of alcohol is seen not only to have a longer reaction time but also to show more wrong reactions.