Dangers of Texting & Driving – The Evidence Mounts

It is now generally accepted that manual texting while driving is dangerous. But what about the new texting technology which permits “voice to text” communication?

A just-published study conducted by the Texas A & M Transportation Institute and sponsored by the Southwestern Region University Transportation Center of Texas A & M compared manual texting with “voice-to-text.” The study shows that driver reaction times were slower and attention directed to the roadway ahead was decreased, regardless of which texting method was used. It also took longer to complete the same texting task using the voice-to-text application. Interestingly, drivers felt safer using the voice-to-text application than manual texting, even though the study suggests it is no safer.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Voice-to-Text Programs at Reducing Incidences of Distractive Driving by Christine Yeager, Texas A & M Transportation Institute.