When Safety And Technology Clash
The idea of the Samsung Smart Windshield is exciting, and the design is very sleek, but is this product necessary or safe? The GPS could be useful, while the other features could prove to be a dangerous distraction. Watch a preview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAWpq4eW7FE
Driving should take your complete attention, especially when riding a motorcycle, which can be as or more dangerous than cars. The federal government estimates that per mile traveled in 2013, the number of deaths on motorcycles was over 26 times the number in cars: Source
This number is higher because the motorcycle provides a lot less protection in a crash. Approximately 80 percent of reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death; a comparable figure for automobiles is about 20 percent (Source). Motorcyclists have enough to worry about on the road, including visibility issues and bad weather, without being distracted by an e-mail alert.
Distracted driving is a huge problem. According to the National Safety Council, hands free devices are no safer than hand held devices when driving. This is because there are 3 different types of distraction.
Visual: Taking your eyes off the road.
Manual: Taking your hands off the wheel.
Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving.
The Smart Windshield is hands free, but still unsafe. All 3 types of distraction are hazardous, even more so when they are added together.
While new technology can be fun, and often times very useful, it’s important to take a step back and really think about something before diving into a potentially unsafe situation. If you need to check your texts, e-mail or calls, pull over to do so. Nothing is as important as your safety.
