I was waiting for a study on this one!
Details | Bossip
For all you texting addicts who think it’s “safe” using a voice-activated method instead of using your hands, a new study says think again.
Going hands free on your mobile device to send a text is no less dangerous than the traditional method, according to a new university study.
In fact, the risk is nearly identical, cutting reaction time for drivers in half.
“We believe it’s a useful step, and we’re eager to see what other studies may find,” said Christine Yager, who led the study for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI).
The drivers went around the closed course three times: Once while not using their phone at all, once while texting with their hands and once while texting by voice. A stoplight appeared at random intervals while the drivers made their way around the course and the researchers compared how long it took the drivers to respond.
“Driver response times were significantly delayed no matter which texting method was used. In each case, drivers took about twice as long to react as they did when they weren’t texting,” an excerpt from the study reads.
Interestingly, drivers reported that they felt safer when texting via voice versus with their hands. However, the study found that texting by hand was actually slightly faster than texting by voice, along with posing the same general amount of risk.
Moral of the story? Just put the phone down when you’re driving. It’s not worth your life.
Straight like that!
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