ADEPT Driver, a California company that develops smart driver safety programs like teenSMART and Lifelong Driver, is calling for a legislation from the Assembly Transportation Committee to formally approve AB 313, which would ban all hands-free voice-activated texting while driving.
Assembly member Jim Frazier wrote AB 313 according to a company press statement.
ADEPT Driver also supports Senate Bill 194 which would ban teen drivers from hands-free texting while driving. Efforts to ban hands-free texting while driving have been supported by the National Safety Council, many different driver safety organizations, amongst others organizations.
"Traffic safety experts know that texting while driving - whether hands-free or hand-held - poses a significant increase in crash risk," said Dr. Richard Harkness , a psychologist, traffic safety expert, and CEO of ADEPT Driver in a press statement. "Recent research has highlighted the danger associated with hands-free texting while driving because it involves significant cognitive and visual distractions for drivers."
ADEPT Driver reported a summary of research findings on hands-free texting while operative a motor vehicle and released their studies publically to make people more awere about how unsafe even hands-free texting is.
The report indicates that drivers who engage in hands-free texting while driving can "have significant cognitive distraction" that messes with their ability to "recognize safety-critical events" by well over 50 percent. Hands-free texting also "reduces driver response time" by approximately 30 percent according to the study.
Research indicates that there is "little or no difference" in the crash risk of drivers who actually using hands-held or voice operated devices. Both devices reportedly can cause an equal amount of distraction that leads to "inattention blindness" according to the study.
"Statistically speaking, texting while driving is far more dangerous than driving drunk," said Harkness in a press statement. "Allowing hands-free texting is a very predictable disaster waiting to happen."
Hands-free texting devices also doesn't completely get rid of a driver's need to take their eyes off the road, as many people also use check-voice-test-transcriptions, which has also been known to cause accidents as well.
AB 313 will be heard in the California Assembly Transportation Committee next Monday, April 8.
Related Articles:
Ford Ad Controversy: Apology 'Not Good Enough' For Kardashian Sisters, Exploring Legal Action (PHOTOS/ VIDEO)
New Chevrolet Silverado, Impala Hosted Above Comerica Park For Detroit Tigers Home Opener (PHOTOS)
Homeless Man Wins Lotto, Plans To Help Others With $50,000 Winnings (VIDEO)
Frozen Pizza Recall Expanded By Rich Products Due To E.Coli Issues
Katrina $700M Missing From Hurricane Relief Fund, Likely Will Never Be Returned (VIDEO)
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?