Abstract
Driving and texting is one of the leading causes of road accidents in the United States. Hand-held devices were blamed for the rise of road accidents in the country. The emergence of hands free devices were believed to be the real solution to this problem. However, this study shows that unless these new devices are used responsibly, they can be as dangerous as hand-held devices.
Introduction
The use of mobile phones by drivers is one of the leading causes of road accidents in the United States. A study conducted by Streitz and Markopoulos (2016) shows that most drivers still use their phones while driving. Making phone calls or texting while driving divides the attention of the driver and temporarily impairing his or her judgment on the road. The distractions from these devices have resulted into deadly accidents in the near past. In order to solve this problem, technological advancements in hand-held device have been witnessed to help drivers receive calls or texts without having to handle the devices. Hands free devices and auto responders have emerged to help drivers read texts and receive calls without handling the devices. It means that these devices can be used by drivers with their hands firmly on the wheels and eyes on the road. However, a study by Freitas (2016) says that although these hands free devices have been helpful in reducing distractions to drivers when receiving calls and texts, it is still dangerous to receive calls or texts while driving. Although the eye and the hands will not be distracted, the brain will be impaired as the driver will divide his attention between being on the road and listening to the message. It means that it is still possible for one to cause an accident even when using the hands free devices. In this paper, the researcher seeks to confirm that even though the use of hands free devices and auto responders has their benefits precautions need to be created in order to prevent drivers from texting and driving.
Discussion
Hands free devices
According to Weisberg and Reeves (2013), technology is always considered the solution to most of the problems we face in our socio-economic and political landscapes. The emergence of cell phones was blamed for the increasing rate of road accidents as most drivers would text, receive texts, call or receive calls while driving. Their attention would shift from the road to their phones, making it easy for them to cause accidents. Innovators came up with a way of solving this problem. The emergence of hands free devices was seen as a perfect solution to this problem. These devices allow a driver to receive text messages or phone calls without using their hands. The hands free devices and auto responders are programmed to read the incoming texts and receive phone calls automatically without the driver having to do it in person. The texts are read aloud for the driver. The phone calls also get automatically picked and with Bluetooth headphones already in place, one can chat with the caller with hands firmly on the wheels and eyes on the road. ReadItToMe, DriveSafely, Text’nDrive, vBoxHandsFree Messaging, and NissanConnect are some of the hands free devices that are currently available in the market. They allow the driver to read the texts without physically handling their phones. The incoming text is read aloud for the driver. Some of these devices also allow the driver to respond to the messages without handling the phone. The command is issued in voice to the driver and if they want to reply the message, they can do so by speaking out aloud. The voice message is then converted automatically into texts and sent to the recipient.
Arguments in support of hands free devices
Hands free devices have received massive support, especially among the road users who believe that they have helped in reducing road accidents. According to Kaur and Tao (2014), it is almost impossible to convince drivers to switch off their mobile phones when driving. Mobile phones have become basic needs among the Americans as they facilitate instant communication irrespective of one’s geographic location. It is, therefore, a fact that drivers will continue using their phones when they are driving. Many people believe receiving a call while driving is not multitasking. With one hand on the wheels and the other receiving the call and eyes focused on the road, many people believe that they can manage to receive and make calls while driving. However, the use of hand held devices creates more distraction to the drivers. The time taken to pick the phone is enough to distract the driver off the road. For a car moving at over 160 kilometers in an hour, 2 or 3 seconds of distraction is enough to cause a fatal accident. The emergence of hands free devices means that a driver can use the mobile phones without having any physical distraction. A study by Munroe (2014) indicates that these new devices have significantly reduced road accidents in the United States. They are a better alternative to the hand held devices which have been blamed for the rise in road accidents in the country. As such, stakeholders should support responsible use of these devices by the drivers.
Arguments against hands free devices
The use of mobile phones by drivers when they are behind the wheels is believed to be one of the leading causes of major road accidents in the United States. Most of these drivers easily get distracted when using these devices, leading to poor judgments while on the road. It is worth appreciating that new technological inventions have led to the emergence of hands free devices and auto responders. These new devices are good, as discussed above, but they are not the perfect solution to the problem of texting or calling when driving. According to a study conducted by Streitz and Markopoulos (2016, p. 41), “hands-free devices distract drivers for 27 seconds after use.” The problem is no longer the distraction caused by the physical handling of the phone but the mental distraction during and after use. The message received may have a lasting effect on the mind of the driver. For instance, when one receives a stressing message such as death or kidnapping of a loved one, there will be a shock. It does not matter whether or not one’s hands are on the wheels and eyes on the road. The mental shock will immediately impair the driver’s vision, judgment, and ability to control the vehicle. It is very easy to veer off the road after such shocking information. Such a driver will not only be posing a threat to himself but also to other road users. The figure below shows the mental distraction of various voice-activated systems ranked as per the outcome of a study conducted by Mann and Toles (2016).
As shown in the figure above, almost all the hands free devices have significant impacts on the drivers’ ability to control a vehicle. Chevy Equinax is believed to have the least mental impact on the drivers while Mazda 6 has been ranked as the most distractive of the currently existing voice-activated systems. The ranking is based on the sound these devices produce and how effective they are in meeting the demands of the drivers without handling them physically. Some of these automated devices are so ineffective that they cause frustrations to the drivers. Instead of demanding the least attention possible from the driver, they become a primary source of distraction as the driver would struggle to ensure that they work while at the same time trying to remain focused on the road. Sometimes the device may make a sound that jolts the driver, making him or her to temporarily lose focus on the road. These are some of the fundamental issues about hands free devices that the stakeholders need to address. It is true that hands free devices are better than hand held devices in terms of reducing accidents. However, they are not the solution to this problem.
Conclusion
It is true that hands free devices and auto responders have helped in reducing road accidents that were related to the use of hand held devices. However, the discussion above proves that even though the use of hands free devices and auto responders has their benefits, precaution need to be taken in order to prevent drivers from texting and driving. Texting, even if the driver will be dictating it verbally, will mean that there will be a divided attention. The distraction caused by the divided attention may lead to serious accidents that would otherwise be avoided if the attention was not divided.
References
Freitas, D. (2016). Happiness effect. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Kaur, H., & Tao, X. (2014). ICTs and the millennium development goals: A United Nations perspective. New York, NY: Springer.
Mann, M. E., & Toles, T. (2016). The madhouse effect: How climate change denial is threatening our planet, destroying our politics, and driving us crazy. New York, NY: Cengage.
Munroe, R. (2014). What if? Serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.
Streitz, N., & Markopoulos, P. (2016). Distributed, Ambient and Pervasive Interactions: 4th International Conference, DAPI 2016, Held as Part of HCI International 2016, Toronto, ON, Canada, July 17-22, 2016, Proceedings. London, UK: McMillan.
Weisberg, R. W., & Reeves, L. (2013). Cognition: From memory to creativity. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.