It is common knowledge that using your phone while driving is illegal and dangerous, but given the new rise of gadgets like smartwatches, where does that stand? Well last we heard, it was considered illegal as well. In fact over in New Zealand, road safety advocates are hoping to ban wearables from the roads.
According to road safety charity Brake advocate, Caroline Perry, “A second’s inattention at the wheel can result in tragedy. Smartwatches and other wearable technology are extremely distracting if used while driving.” As it stands, the New Zealand laws prohibit smartphones from being used while driving, but unfortunately it does not cover wearables like the Apple Watch or its competition, which is what advocates like Perry are hoping will change.
However until a law can be passed, Perry suggests that drivers with wearables try and remove temptation at least by taking the watch off and putting it to the side. “Our advice to drivers is to take them off and put them out of reach so that you aren’t tempted to use them at the wheel.” Given that wearables are relatively new, road safety laws have yet to catch up.
However recent studies have found that wearables such as smartwatches are even bigger distractions compared to smartwatches. In 2013, a woman was initially fined for wearing her Google Glass headset while driving. She later contested the ticket in which the courts ultimately sided with her and dismissed the ticket against her.
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