Final answer:
The best explanation for the collision is that Idris's attention was divided between riding the scooter and talking on the phone, preventing him from devoting full cognitive resources to observe and react to his environment, which led to the accident.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the given reading, the best explanation for why Idris ran into a cyclist while riding a Lime scooter and talking on the phone at the same time is due to the limitations of human cognitive abilities to successfully multitask. Multitasking often leads to reduced attention to one or more tasks due to the brain's inability to fully focus on multiple tasks at the same time. When Idris was talking on the phone, his cognitive resources were divided between the conversation and the operation of the scooter, impacting his reaction time and awareness of his surroundings, which is necessary for safe driving.
Human cognition works in a way where tasks can be either automatic ('thinking fast') or require deliberate cognitive effort ('thinking slow'). For someone new to an activity, more cognitive resources are dedicated to performing that task. However, over time and with practice, some tasks become automatic or performed on 'autopilot', requiring less conscious thought. Nevertheless, adding a secondary task, such as talking on the phone, forces the brain to switch attention back and forth, increasing the risk of errors or accidents, such as Idris's collision with the cyclist.