October 2, 2014

Drivers While Voice Texting Are Still Distracted

Drivers in a simulator reacted slowly to sudden traffic emergencies regardless of whether they were thumbing texts into smartphones or dictating them to Google Glass. Larry Greenemeier reports

By Larry Greenemeier

SUBSCRIBE TO 60-Second Tech

Apple | Spotify | RSS

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

You don’t need to be in a car crash or to see the horrifying safety statistics to know that you should never text while driving. A driver simply cannot look at both a smartphone screen and the road at the same time. Taking your eyes off the road for even five seconds at 55 miles per hour is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.

But could a head-mounted, voice-controlled display like Google Glass solve the distracted-driving problem?

In a word, “No,” according to a recent University of Central Florida study.

Researchers found that drivers in a simulator reacted slowly to sudden traffic emergencies regardless of whether they were thumbing texts into their smartphones or dictating them to Google Glass.

Glass-wearing drivers did recover more quickly from near accidents than hand-texters. Could be because they weren’t fishing around on the floor for their dropped smartphone.

The real problem is driver multitasking. Texting is especially problematic because it involves simultaneous manual, visual and cognitive distraction. Glass doesn’t completely eliminate the problem because simply looking at the road doesn’t necessarily mean you’re paying attention to it.

—Larry Greenemeier

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American