SALT LAKE CITY: An automobile association has recently been involved in a series of studies aimed at determining the effects of cognitive, or mental, distraction on motorists. The first study to occur examined how certain tasks can affect drivers’ abilities to focus on the roads. Researchers looked at how much cognitive focus and energy were required by seemingly small actions like listening to the radio, talking on a handheld cellphone and using a speech-to-text email system. In direct opposition to currently popularly-held beliefs, using a speech-to-text email system proved to be the most distracting task of the study. Researchers concluded that hands-free devices actually contribute to distraction instead of eliminating it…