Anyone concerned about increased distracted drivers?

[macguy360]

Currently, distracted driving due to cell phone use causes more accidents and is more dangerous than drinking and driving.

Just looking down at your phone when driving down the highway takes about 5 seconds and results in traveling the length of a football field without even looking at the road.

23% of accidents last year involved the use of cell phones. Now that cell phones are so prominent, there is no "safe" time to drive because people can be texting and driving any time of day. Compared to in the past where drinking and driving was the main concern and the safest way to avoid drunken drivers was to just not drive late at night when people are leaving bars (i.e. 9pm-2am with variances for location).

I would argue that most people are responsible and when they drive they leave their phone in a cupholder or something and don't check it until they stop at a traffic light. This is purely speculation from personal experience of looking at other drivers at traffic lights and talking to other people about texting and driving.

However, now that people are going to be wearing an Apple watch that will vibrate and/or make a noise when a notification occurs, how much more likely is someone going to be to look at their watch and possibly interact with it to respond to someone or read a message?

I think the Apple watch has the potential to increase distracted driving significantly due to the fact that the watch will be in the field of view when driving and people will be tempted to look at it. Also, the Apple watch will be used significantly more than android wear devices due to the popularity of Apple devices and the watch.

If your interested in texting and driving statistics heres the link
http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/

 

[Wildgift]

I really agree with this. In Los Angeles it is insane.

 

[NavySEAL6]

I would think the watch may be easier and less distracting than reaching for a phone but that's left to be seen

 

[Wildgift]

Yes, but now people are glancing at their wrists instead of the road. I think that this accounts for a huge amount of wasted time in traffic, when people are looking at their smart phone instead of paying attention to traffic.

 

[NavySEAL6]

Yes, but now people are glancing at their wrists instead of the road. I think that this accounts for a huge amount of wasted time in traffic, when people are looking at their smart phone instead of paying attention to traffic.

I agree with this, just hoping the watch is the lesser of two evils

 

[Cashmonee]

Being on the wrist will not help. Reading the text or email you just got will pull your eyes off the road and cause you to be distracted whether it's on the watch or the phone.

 

[macguy360]

I would think the watch may be easier and less distracting than reaching for a phone but that's left to be seen

You might be right. People looking at their wrist may still have the road in their peripheral vision while looking at the watch compared to looking down and not seeing the road at all.

However, you could argue that they will be looking at their wrist significantly more than they previously looked at their phone.

 

[rhyme]

It is going to be very hard to resist reading a notification that comes in on the phone when my hands are right there in front of me, so yes, this is a concern. I hope Apple soon implements something that will detect when I am driving and turn off notifications.

 

[greytmom]

Crappy drivers are going to be crappy, no matter what excuse you give them.

 

[macguy360]

Crappy drivers are going to be crappy, no matter what excuse you give them.

That is correct. However, how many normal drivers that don't use their cell phones while driving and only use them at traffic lights will now be more likely to look at their wrist since it vibrated and/or made a noise for a notification?

 

[betabeta]

All the more reason for driverless cars or at least cars that can take control to avoid collisions.

Apple is working on it, I hope.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

The Watch, which isn't capable of individual text input, should in theory be less distracting than the iPhone, which drivers busily type away with it near their laps (in an attempt to hide it below the windows) and their faces down.

 

[NavySEAL6]

You might be right. People looking at their wrist may still have the road in their peripheral vision while looking at the watch compared to looking down and not seeing the road at all.

However, you could argue that they will be looking at their wrist significantly more than they previously looked at their phone.

Touché

Hopefully this isn't the case. Sadly a driver was swerving the other day and when I passed him he was scrolling Instagram unbelievable! I'm not saying that watch should be used for this that's just ridiculous it made me so mad

But if someone is expecting me and they text me "where are you" I can glance at my watch and hopefully a prewritten response will say "I'm almost there" I click the button and I'm done. Much less distracted than grabbing the phone and dictating or typing.

 

[Cashmonee]

You might be right. People looking at their wrist may still have the road in their peripheral vision while looking at the watch compared to looking down and not seeing the road at all.

However, you could argue that they will be looking at their wrist significantly more than they previously looked at their phone.

Tests have shown that our peripheral vision is much worse than we think, especially if we are reading a text message. Think about it, how long does it take to read this:

"I'm running late, I won't be there until 5:30.

3, 4 seconds? That is more than enough time to not now a light changed or a car stopped or turned in front of you. Using Siri over bluetooth to dictate and reply is probably the safest and least distracting, although even that is probably not the greatest idea.

 

[betabeta]

Crappy drivers are going to be crappy, no matter what excuse you give them.

Yeah, we are going to need smart cars to assist a world of dumb people#

 

[Arran]

Crappy drivers are going to be crappy, no matter what excuse you give them.

Yeah, but no need to encourage them.

I think the OP is spot on. I had a play with a watch today and couldn't believe how busy the UI is and how small the text is.

 

[macguy360]

Yeah, we are going to need smart cars to assist a world of dumb people#

Or software that forces the blocking of using phones while driving for anything but bluetooth for in automobile calls or something along those lines. Not sure about older cars.

 

[greytmom]

That is correct. However, how many normal drivers that don't use their cell phones while driving and only use them at traffic lights will now be more likely to look at their wrist since it vibrated and/or made a noise for a notification?

Immaterial, since I don't think there are many "normal" drivers. However, I believe people who are actually responsible enough to know not to text and drive will also be responsible enough to know not to stare at their watch while driving.

 

[MH01]

I agree with this, just hoping the watch is the lesser of two evils

A phone you can use one handed, it's what made the iPhone awesome. Takes two hands to use a watch. I believe the greater evil is the watch.

 

[charlituna]

Those that will be distracted will be no matter what the tech. It's more of an attitude thing. My phone stays in my bag. If it goes off so what. I'll check it when I get where I'm going. I'm driving right now that's the priority. Those with that attitude will always have it. Those that don't see a big deal about distractions will continue to text etc while driving with whatever they have

 

[macguy360]

Immaterial, since I don't think there are many "normal" drivers. However, I believe people who are actually responsible enough to know not to text and drive will also be responsible enough to know not to stare at their watch while driving.

Can you agree though that having a smartwatch that vibrates and makes noise telling you that you have a notification and is in your field of view will make you a lot more likely to look at it, especially since after using the watch for a few weeks you will build up a pavlovian response to looking at your watch when it makes a noise/vibrates.

 

[greytmom]

Can you agree though that having a smartwatch that vibrates and makes noise telling you that you have a notification and is in your field of view will make you a lot more likely to look at it, especially since after using the watch for a few weeks you will build up a pavlovian response to looking at your watch when it makes a noise/vibrates.

I can only answer for myself. When my phone beeps at me while I'm driving, I wait until I get to a stop light to look at it (if I even care to see who is texting me). If I simply can't wait, I say "Siri, read text."

I will likely behave the same way with the watch.

Look, I see so many stupid things every day on the road. People texting, putting on makeup, reading the newspaper (yep, I'm not kidding), you name it. I don't think it will get much worse because it is already awful.

 

[McPhallus]

I would agree. During the short time I had a Microsoft Band, I found it much less distracting than my phone. There's no real interaction with the device, other than a quick glance in the same plane of view as your steering wheel controls or dashboard. With a phone you have to take your eyes entirely off the road to look at it. Since the information displayed is limited, I would think there would be little inventive to look at it more than a second or two.

I would think the watch may be easier and less distracting than reaching for a phone but that's left to be seen

 

[flori13]

I am extremely concerned about this.

 

[rhyme]

Touché
But if someone is expecting me and they text me "where are you" I can glance at my watch and hopefully a prewritten response will say "I'm almost there" I click the button and I'm done.

I hope I'm not anywhere near you on the road when you do!