It's common knowledge that texting while driving is a very bad thing to do. There have also been many reports of traffic accidents caused by distracted drivers who were texting.
However, Google Glass is different from a cell phone or smartphone since you just wear it on your head as you would a normal pair of glasses. It's a hands-free device that allows you to take photos, get the latest news and updates your social media feeds. If you can do all of that easily with your eyes, wouldn't it be just as easy to send a text without any problem?
The answer is no, according to a recent study by the University of Central Florida. Whether you are texting with a smartphone or texting with Google Glass, they both distract from driving. Using Google Glass to text while driving should be avoided, University of Central Florida researcher Ben Sawyer said in a statement.
However, there is an interesting difference between using a smartphone and using Google Glass to text while you're driving. The researchers found that those using Google Glass to text were able to recover more quickly and regain control of their vehicles than those using a smartphone.
The study is the first to examine the effects of using Google Glass to text while driving, and it was made in cooperation with the Air Force Research laboratory. The researchers enlisted the help of 40 participants in their 20s who each drove in a car simulator with either Google Glass or a smartphone. Each participant had to react to a vehicle ahead by slamming on the brakes. The researchers compared reaction times of the students when they were texting while driving and when they had no distractions. They found that those using Google Glass had no better reaction times, but they returned to driving normally more quickly than those who used smartphones.
"As distractive influences threaten to become more common and numerous in drivers' lives, we find the limited benefits provided by Glass a hopeful sign of technological solutions to come," Sawyer said in a statement.
As Google Glass becomes more widely used, states are considering banning motorists from wearing the devices. New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri, Delaware, West Virginia and Wymoing have all considered implementing laws to ban drivers from wearing Google Glass. However, Google has tried to block some of these measures.
With wearable technology becoming more mainstream, it's very likely that we'll be hearing more about the issue of distracted driving in the near future.
