A new study by the University of Florida tested the risks involved with Google Glass while driving and found the wearable is as dangerous as texting behind the wheel.
Google has mastered the art of wearable technology with the Google Glass, which is regarded useful in various situations including driving. But a new scientific research challenges Google's claims by proving that the Glass can be just as dangerous as using a smartphone while driving. Ben Sawyer, psychological researcher at the University of Florida, conducted a series of tests in labs by using driving simulators where participants were examined based on their reaction to an approaching vehicle.
Texting while driving has brought worldwide awareness, courtesy of the never-ending campaigns by several non-profit organizations as well as safety regulations by the government. With the growth in technology, people are advancing toward the simplest ways of communications. Google Glass offers a wide range of operations comfortably packed within a pair of eyewear. But adopting to the next-gen tech gadgets comes with certain disadvantages as UCF professor Sawyer noted in his recent analysis.
"Texting with either a smartphone or Glass will cause distraction and should be avoided while driving" Sawyer said in a university's press release, last week. "Glass did help drivers in our study recover more quickly than those texting on a smartphone. We hope that Glass points the way to technology that can help deliver information with minimal risk."
The study was based on the analysis of 40 participants while using either Google Glass or a smartphone. Drivers were supposed to apply brakes to avoid an accident. The results showed both smartphone and Glass users were equally slow in responding to an approaching vehicle. However, Glass owners were able to regain control of their vehicles from near-collisions while smartphone users maintained a safer distance from the car in the front.
"For every measure we recorded, messaging with either device negatively impacted driving performance," Sawyer wrote. "Compared to those just driving, multitaskers reacted more slowly, preserved less headway during the brake event, and subsequently adopted greater following distances."
