Using hands-free devices to talk, text or send e-mail while driving is distracting and risky, contrary to what many people believe, a new study has revealed.
A research conducted by the University of Utah has found that hands-free is not risk-free and the new, speech-based technologies in the car can overload the driver”s attention and impair their ability to drive safely.
“An unintended consequence of trying to make driving safer – by moving to speech-to-text, in-vehicle systems – may actually overload the driver and make them less safe,” David Strayer, lead author of the study, said.
The research found that as mental workload and distractions increase, reaction time slows, brain function is compromised, drivers scan the road less and miss visual cues, potentially resulting in drivers not seeing items right in front of them including stop signs and pedestrians.
Strayer hopes people realize they are risking their lives and those of others by using distracting hands-free phone, e-mailing, texting and social media technologies while driving.
The study was issued by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
———–ANI