Minnesota drivers understand that distracted driving is a danger. Texting while driving is one of the most common forms of distracted driving today. It causes thousands of fatalities every year.
There are many tools that people use to cut down on the danger of using handheld devices in a car. One of these tools is hands-free technology. But how much does it really help?
What is hands-free tech for?
The National Safety Council talks about hands-free technology and the impact it has on drivers. Hands-free technology intends to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. It allows you to operate your devices with speech. The intention is to cut down on crashes related to use of technological devices.
Unfortunately, a big component of driver safety is mental awareness and focus. Keeping your eyes on the road is important. It also improves safety if your hands are on the wheel. But what if your mind is not on the task at hand? What if hands-free tech ends up distracting you on a mental level?
Why isn’t hands-free tech fool-proof?
Mental distractions are a chief contributor to crashes. It is a primary component of distracted driving behaviors. Thus, hands-free devices cannot guarantee driver safety. They only protect you from two of the three primary dangers of distracted driving.
The National Safety Council’s slogan for hands-free devices is “hands-free is not risk-free”. There are inherent risks in relying on hands-free devices to keep safe. If you let your guard down just because of these devices, there is still a chance you may end up involved in a crash.