Well, that would be the case if there were a national legal age for texting. There's not, so the plain fact is that texting while driving kills more teens than drunk driving. Annually about 3,000 teens die on the road due to texting versus 2,700 who die as a result of driving drunk.
The danger isn't limited to teenagers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that texting is six time more dangerous than drunk driving. Further, it's illegal in the vast majority of states (more details on that at the end of this article).
Say What?
Fortunately cellphone and car manufacturers are developing hardware and software that they hope will reduce the risks associated with cellphone use while driving. One of the most interesting of these is Motorola's new Moto X.The Moto X by Motorola is taking voice control to a new level. With other systems, like Apple's famous Siri, users need to push a button activate the voice control mode. The Moto X—like RCA's famous dog from a bygone era in advertising—is always listening for its master's voice.
.jpg "Motorola Moto X") |
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The key is a special chip that keeps a low-power process going to "listen" for the phone's owner to utter the magic phrase, "OK, Google now." Why couldn't it have been "Open sesame" or "These aren't the droids you're looking for?"
Totally Hands Free
With the Moto X always listening in and ready to obey a command, theoretically, it could be safer to use than a device like the iPhone that requires the push of a button. After all, in addition to the actual texting, there's also that time when the driver is reaching around, trying to get a grip on the phone and find the button.A Moto X user should be able to launch apps and communicate without ever having to touch the phone. Initial reviewers have found it to be somewhat balky on occasion. Instructions have to be specific, for example, saying "run" instead of "launch" when firing up an app.
Of course, with all of the news about government snooping and even the ability of hackers to spy on families via cameras built into Samsung "Smart" TVs, some users might be reluctant to cozy up to a smartphone that's always listening. (How many of you remember telephone party lines?)
Automakers Step it Up
With onboard navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, Pandora and features similar to the apps found on a typical smartphone, riding in the passenger compartment of a new car is almost like driving around in an iPhone on wheels. It's not surprising that the distraction issues parallel those caused by using cellphones while driving. |
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Automakers are increasingly designing hands-free interfaces for their vehicles. One estimate says that by 2019 half of all new cars will have integrated voice recognition.
All of this is good news. However, there is bad news as well, and drivers would be very wise to fully understand the situation. Simply stated, hands-free systems are not a panacea for the dangers of distracted driving.
A recent study found that using a hands-free technology doesn't cure distracted driving. In fact, according to the study, a handheld phone conversation is less distracting than composing and sending a hands-free voice-to-text email.
The study concluded that there is no way to safely drive while performing tasks like dictating text or email messages. Drivers get "tunnel vision" when distracted, so the bottom line is to always pay attention while driving. That seems simple enough.
At the beginning of this article we promised to give you more information about state laws and texting while driving. These can change at any time, so be sure to check your locale. It's legal to text and drive in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Montana, South Carolina and South Dakota.
Texting while driving is legal with restrictions on new and young drivers in Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. But, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's safe or wise.
Chris Turberville-Tully
About the Author:
Chris Turberville-Tully works with HR Owen Maserati, a luxury car dealership in England. When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his family, watching football and cricket or traveling. Circle Chris on G+.
Chris Turberville-Tully works with HR Owen Maserati, a luxury car dealership in England. When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his family, watching football and cricket or traveling. Circle Chris on G+.
Sources:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/files/Driving-while-Texting-Six-Times-More-Dangerous-than-Driving-while-Drunk.html