One of the biggest selling points of the Apple Watch might be that it will free you from the attention-sucking clutches of your iPhone. A new study by the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham, UK, found that using your Apple Watch while driving is significantly more distracting that your iPhone 6.
Safety advocate firm SmartWitness is calling for a ban on smartwatches after the study discovered that drivers reading a text message on their smartwatch take more than a half second longer to respond to an emergency than someone reading on a smartphone.
Drivers with a smart watch took 2.52 seconds to react to an emergency maneuver, whereas someone talking to a passenger would react within 0.9 seconds. Smartphones reaction times averaged around 1.85 seconds.
Legislation to ban mobile phones while driving was put forward in the U.K. back in 2003, but a similar law has not yet been proposed by lawmakers. However, with wearables gaining more traction in 2015, and CarPlay on the rise, the number of distractions in the car continue to grow.
A recent survey found that over 500,000 motorists in the U.K. alone still drive while using a phone. Enforcing a ban on smart watches could be even harder. To keep drivers less distracted, Apple Watch does come with an Airplane mode, but unless a driver starts flashing his heart beat at cop, it’ll be practically impossible to catch distracted Apple Watch drivers in the act.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
11 responses to “Apple Watch a bigger distraction than iPhone behind the wheel”
This just in, anything but driving is distracting to driving.
I read this whole article on my iPhone while driving in city traffic without a problem and only got distracted when I dropped the joint I was smoking into the open coffee cup sitting on top of the MacBook that I was using to edit a movie I made with my GoPro that sits on my dashboard. I don’t think I’ll an issue with a smart watch.
Maybe it has something to do with not everyone is that comfortable using their watch yet? Everyone and their grandma can use a smartphone with ease these days. I think after some time, that may change.
This is funny and silly to suggest. Banning iWatches! Who is going to take off their watch before they get in the car and hide it in the glove compartment?
After an initial use of the device and discovering that it is distracting while driving, I am sure most drivers will opt to still have their phone mounted on the windshield and not use their watch while driving.
One or two people being idiotic while driving does not mean we have to have legislation for all of us.
An Apple Watch was not used in the TRL reaction test. This study about smartwatches in general. Fix your headline!
Hurry up car manufacturers give me my automated car. We have the tech.
I would calculate that this is nothing more than a scheme to provide the authorities with an excuse to give the smart watch wearing driver a ticket.
The problem is people looking DOWN at their phones. All 3 people that plowed into my car in the past 4 years had their eyes in their lap thanks to trying to hide it from cops. If it keep their eyes up at lest, then it’s less of a problem IMO. That’s why I support dash dicks for phines as it keep their peripheral vision up.
Funny. A story about a study on a device that no one owns yet. Rubbish.
Looks like the author is Tim Cooks personal friend or something? He seems to have been distracted while driving wearing the “watch” ??? not even out yet??? what a B.S. One thing to hate apple, another thing to fabricate stories..
As a work around I purchased the Origosafe for my daughter’s car. It is hard wired to the ignition and works with her iPhone 5s. Works like a charm! If she pulls it out of the “safe” than her phone will be disabled next time she tries to start the car. Only drawback is cost: $400.00 one time charge for hardware + installation and having to use a special phone case.