A person using their left hand is more likely to have a rightward-collision, a new study from the University of Melbourne has found.

Associate Professor Mike Nicholls, from the School of Behavioural Science said the research – published in this month’s edition of the journal Neuropsychologia - had important implications for road, industrial and maritime safety.

“The research shows that someone using their left hand is four times more likely to collide with an object on the right than on the left,’’ he says.

“In everyday situations we know that people are often walking, driving or operating machinery while doing something else with their hands.

“And while it might be a nuisance to bump into a door, this study suggests that texting or talking on a mobile phone with your left hand while driving could be courting disaster.

“It’s illegal to use a handheld mobile while driving – and this study adds further scientific evidence to back up why that ban is so important for driver safety.’’

About 200 people participated in Dr Nicholls’ study. They were asked to walk through a narrow doorway while firing a toy gun with their left, right and both hands.

The study reported four times more collisions with the right side of the door than the left when a person was using their left hand.

People firing with both hands were also more likely to collide on the right side – although the overall number of collisions was lower.

Associate Professor Nicholls said the collisions were caused by hand movements on one side of the body, which caused activity to increase in the opposite side of the brain.

“For example, if you are using your left hand it stimulates the right side of your brain which draws your attention to your left, therefore causing you to bump into objects on your right,’’ he says.

Dr Nicholls said although previous studies had reported that people had a tendency to collide with objects to their right, his was the first to show it in a laboratory setting.

He said he ultimately hoped to extend the study to include driving simulations.