Study Says Voice-To-Text No Safer Than Regular Texting
So much for all those systems that allow you to convert your voice to text messages. Reuters reports that a new study by the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M has found the technology to be no safer to use while driving than employing a traditional handheld device.
The study found that drivers took around twice as long to react to situations on the road as they did while they weren't texting and that eye contact with the road decreased as well.
The study used 43 participants who were tasked with driving around a test course, first without any electronic devices and then with a voice-to-text system. Interestingly enough, using the speech-to-text device actually took longer than simply typing out a message on a phone. Despite this fact, the drivers said they felt safer while using the hands-free option. Researchers said that this response could lead drivers to attempt to text even when it isn't safe to do so.
