Hands-free driving devices don’t increase safety

Most drivers across Illinois and the United States know that talking or texting while driving is a dangerous practice. To decrease the risk of an accident, many drivers opt to use hands-free or wearable devices in order to text instead. Unfortunately, using these devices doesn’t necessarily make using a phone safe.

A recent study done by researchers at the University of Texas found that using wearable devices during driving didn’t offer any safety advantages. During the study, participants used a driving simulator while using their smartphone or Google Glass to send texts. Because Google Glass has the ability to send texts with voice control, drivers were able to text without their hands. The study found that participants were more responsive to driving situations and were less distracted. Because the device made texting easier, however, participants used it on a more frequent basis, which resulted in drivers becoming more distracted.

The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that one in every four motor vehicle accidents are caused due to cell phone use. The NSC recommends pulling over before using a cell phone and installing a cell phone blocking application, which disables the phone when the vehicle is in motion.

Distracted drivers cause thousands of accidents each year, which may result in medical expenses, loss of work, disability and death. A personal injury lawyer may be able to help the victim of a motor vehicle accident receives compensation to cover these expenses. In order for the victim to receive monetary damages, a lawyer must prove that the other driver acted negligently. The use of traffic cameras, witness reports and cell phone records can help prove that the other driver was distracted while driving. In this case, a lawyer may be able to prove that although a wearable device was used while driving, the driver was still distracted, causing the accident to occur.