Using Hands-Free Technology While Driving: How Safe Is It?
Using Hands-Free Technology While Driving: How Safe Is It? The majority of drivers will concur that using a phone while driving, sending emails while driving, and texting while driving are risky behaviors that divert attention from the road. Many drivers use hands-free technology in the belief that it is a safer way to try to avoid these distractions.
The truth is that distracted driving persists even when using hands-free technologies. It is truly not safe to use a phone while operating a vehicle. Distracted driving accidents can be catastrophic, so it’s crucial to talk through the specifics of your injuries with your auto accident lawyer if you believe the motorist was at fault.
Is Hands-Free Technology Distraction-Free? No, hands-free technology allows you to use your phone to perform many tasks while driving, such as making calls, sending texts, getting directions, and more, without needing to pick it up and handle it.
A Bluetooth earpiece, a dashboard system like Apple CarPlay, or even just your phone’s speakers and microphone can accomplish this. Theoretically, you can ask your phone to call a contact, dictate or have a text message read to you, and take phone calls while driving. In actuality, you will still need to pay some attention to the screen in question even though you may be “button pushing” less than if you were just conversing on your phone. It involves more than just striking up a conversation.
Data on Driving While Distracted by Hands-Free.
The National Safety Council reports that hand-held or other cell phone conversations are involved in 24 percent of all auto accidents. The NSC states that your brain’s capacity to interpret moving visuals is severely reduced—up to 33 percent—while you’re talking on the phone or listening to music. According to the NSC study, drivers who are conversing on a hand-held device miss 50% of what is going on around them, even when their eyes are fixed on the road and both hands are on the wheel.
It is still quite dangerous to use a hands-free phone while driving, according to additional studies. The startling discovery that drivers who are adults and inebriated are statistically less risky than those who are not is the result of a 2006 study conducted at the University of Utah. That being said, it’s not safe to drive after drinking.
And conversing with other people while driving?
Why is using a hands-free device not deemed safe if conversing with people in the car is? Are they not identical? The National Safety Council determines that this comparison is not fair. In addition to monitoring the road, passengers will alert drivers of potential hazards. Even though your hands are on the wheel when you are multitasking, you are not fully “present” in the automobile when you are driving. Even though the passenger isn’t necessarily looking at the road, having a face-to-face chat will still keep the driver focused in this particular scenario.
A Vehicle Mishap Initiated by a Distracted Driver
Make sure you are not using a phone while driving, not even with your hands free, to prevent becoming the cause of the collision. Whether the motorist was using a hands-free device or not, your vehicle accident lawyer will help you receive the compensation you are due to if you are in an accident with them. If at all possible, record as much information as you can from the crash scene, and inform your lawyer that you believe cell phone use played a role in the accident. From there, your lawyer will know exactly what to do.
It’s critical to keep both of your eyes and mind on the road when driving.
