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 “When you look at how fast people react to an unexpected traffic
event – how fast they slam on their brakes, we didn’t find a
statistically significant difference between Google Glass and
smartphones,” said psychological researcher Ben Sawyer at the
University of Central Florida.
Google Glass users are able to send text messages using voice
transcription technology as well as head commands.
The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that 44 states ban
texting while driving, which studies show doubles the risk of
crashes or near-crashes.
This year eight states have considered laws to also ban drivers from
using Google Glass and other head-mounted computers or displays,
according to LegiScan, a legislative data service.
 Sawyer said Google Glass proponents have claimed erroneously that
the wearable device delivers information with less distraction
because drivers’ eyes remain directed toward the road.
“Looking does not necessarily mean you are seeing,” said Sawyer,
because thought processes remain affected.
“Glass is built to connect you more with the world around you, not
distract you from it," Google spokeswoman Anna Richardson White
said.
"As we make clear in our help center, Explorers should always use
Glass legally and responsibly and put their safety and the safety of
others first,” Richardson White said. The company refers to Google
Glass users as Explorers.
About 40 people took part in the study, in which they texted about
an arithmetic problem via Google Glass or a smartphone while driving
in a simulator. In the process, the drivers were confronted with a
car braking suddenly in front of them.
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After a near-collision in the simulator, Sawyer said the texters
demonstrated different levels of confidence in their ability to
safely text and drive. Smartphone users created more space than
Google Glass users between their car and the car ahead.
Sawyer said Google Glass offered one slight advantage: users
recovered from the near-accident quicker, getting back up to speed
on the road faster than smartphone users. Sawyer said that
difference suggests future technological advances might be able to
lessen distraction problems.
That, he said, is critical for certain drivers whose safety can
depend on information obtained on the road, including military and
emergency personnel.
(Reporting by Barbara Liston; Editing by David Adams, Jim Loney, Dan
Whitcomb and Eric Beech)
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