Georgia drivers sometimes have no choice but to use electronic devices in your car. Many jobs these days require you to have your phone on and working. For example, rideshare drivers need their phones to navigate and collect customer information.
Hands-free tech has evolved in an attempt to address safety concerns brought up by these new jobs. But does this technology actually address the issues that distracted driving causes?
Visual, physical and cognitive distractions
The National Safety Council discusses what hands-free tech can do for you, and the answer is a surprisingly small amount. This is because hands-free tech does not (and cannot) address every area of distracted driving. It is a huge umbrella that breaks down into a few different categories. The primary areas of distraction are visual, physical and cognitive.
Visual and physical distractions are the ones that hands-free devices target. As the name implies, the primary goal was to get drivers to let go of their devices while driving. With hands-free tech, you can operate your phone with voice commands instead. Between that and dictation tools, you often do not have to look at the screen, either. This means you are free to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
Where hands-free tech needs improvement
Unfortunately, hands-free tech cannot address cognitive distractions. This is because they facilitate the use of handheld devices, which distract your mind from driving no matter what. Even listening to an app dictate directions to a new address takes your mind off of actually driving.
Hands-free tech must figure out a way to address cognitive distractions behind the wheel. Until then, it cannot fully protect drivers from the consequences of distractions.
