How Wearable Technology Contributes to Auto Accidents
Brian O Sutter
Traffic Accidents
We all know the dangers associated with texting and driving, but what about all the other technology that has become more and more prevalent over the years? New studies are showing that wearable technology also contributes greatly to distracted driving. It affects a person's concentration and causes a significant distraction.Distracted driving accounts for the majority of auto accidents and among the top cause of distracted driving is talking or texting on the phone. Hundreds of thousands of injuries occur each year because of this, and it is one of the most common causes of death in teenagers.
What Is Wearable Technology?
Wearable technology has recently gained in popularity and includes devices that can be worn around the wrists, arms, or even face. These smaller wearable gadgets allow people to talk or text without having to use their hands and their cell phone. Smartwatches are a common example of wearable technology we can find today, but there are also other small gadgets like fitness trackers and smart jewelry.
People find wearable tech to be more convenient and even easier to use than their cell phones these days. However, using this technology while driving can cause serious accidents and injuries.
Distracted Driving Facts
Wearable technology was found to give users a false sense of security while driving meaning they assumed it was much safer to use their wearable tech over their cell phone while driving. However, it was found to cause more injuries and more collisions.
People assume they can multitask, but all the studies over the years are proof that they can't. While a crash report can't provide completely accurate information about how often smartphones cause accidents, we still find that the numbers are much higher than other leading causes.
Thousands of people die in car accidents or suffer from serious injury as the result of having their smartphones in their hands while driving. Even if you have a hands-free, it doesn't mean that your risk of becoming involved in an accident lowers.
A Recent Study
A recent study conducted by Murtuza Jadliwala, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, say, "while a driver texting with a wearable device can marginally reduce their level of distraction, it ultimately makes texting while driving just as dangerous as with an ordinary cell phone."
Jadliwala gathered twenty student volunteers and placed them in a simulator. In the simulator, they were tasked with driving with a smartphone or Google Glass. The volunteers were sent text messages, and they were tasked with driving safely while still responding to the messages. The simulator recorded the drivers' actions and the deviations that occurred in the steering wheel as well as if they veered out of their lane at any time.
They found that texting with the wearable technology distracted them slightly less, but it also provided the volunteers with that false sense of security. Wearable technology tends to respond much faster than smartphones, which increased the efficiency, but it also made it much more likely for the driver to even utilize the tech while driving.
The bottom line is that even though it was slightly less distracting, it can still cause serious accidents and injuries just as if you had your smartphone in your hands. This is why it is so important to practice safe driving habits and eliminate these kinds of distractions completely until you are safely stopped at your destination.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the reckless or distracted driving of another person, then you should consult with an experienced attorney to discuss the details of the auto accident and see if you are entitled to any compensation.