Sure I can. I haven't seen any data to support this. Have you? I've heard lots of fear-mongering and hand-wringing about it, but these sorts of emotional responses are typically without much data.
Whatever 'data' is presented, usually goes something like this.... "distracted driving deaths are on the rise, so we have to outlaw texting", as if texting is the only form of distraction and before the advent of cell phones we all focused on the road 100% of the time.
Think of it another way. I can buy a car that has a built-in GPS and radio that I have to look away from the road to operate (perfectly legally, mind you). What if I could see GPS directions, operate my music, make and receive calls, all without ever having to touch anything or look away from the road? Wouldn't that actually be safer than having to look down to see when the next turn is, or look down to use the built-in phone controls on my fancy in-car bluetooth? Why is the assumption that new technology is always inherently more distracting?
Take Siri as an example. I can have my cell phone sitting on my center console. I never have to look down at it. I can reach over and, by feel, press the iPhone button, invoke Siri, and voice dial someone. I can even have Siri read me text messages or send a message for me by dictating it to it (her). Isn't this an example of how technology has eliminated distraction?
My point in all of this is that the knee-jerk reaction that if it's new technology it must be bad is such an overly simplistic perspective, and to want to ban something before you've ever laid hands on it because you're afraid it might be distracting just panders to the lowest common denominator.
The problem with "distracted driving" isn't that messing with your phone, your gps or your radio is too
Physically distracting, though that's part of it. It's that your shifting the extremely
miniscule amount of
Mental focus you actually possess away from the things that really matter at the moment like safe driving and avoiding running over someones wife, husband or kids with your multi ton 70mph people crusher. Making the acts of making phone calls, texting, checking your email, surfing the web, following twitter feeds, im'ing friends, updating faceook, taking photos/video, changing music tracks, setting gps directions or any of the thousands of other things
physically easier and more convenient may limit Physical Distractions somewhat but it increases Mental Distraction many many times over and even serves to encourage increased use of the features because "it's so easy". If you think the average person will attempt to be responsible with it you should spend more time out amongst average people.
Fact is peoples perception of their actual situational awareness is way off base and is actually much smaller than anyone would believe. And as any magician can tell you it takes only the slightest distraction to make someone miss even the most obvious shift in events. Ego tends to get in the way of people realizing this. Just as an example, check out this video on Attentional Blindness. Pretty interesting if extravagant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu3zlWVCcjY
I'm not trying to jump into this argument so much as clarifying what a large portion of the problem is that's not really being addressed. Mental Distractions are a huge issue and true multitasking doesn't actually exist in the human brain. Least that's my take on it.. but I'm an idiot most days, what do i know? For the record I think the possible applications for something like glass are amazing and it could be put to massively good use the world over, but, to use while driving? Only if there is a mandatory lockout tied into the built in gps that disables most or all functions while driving, possibly by monitoring speed or some other factor. Otherwise it needs to be tossed into the category of shit that people shouldn't do while driving, like drinking, texting, shaving or reading, since serious mental distractions are just as dangerous as any of them. Technology isn't eliminating distractions, it's just making them more convenient and numerous. Just my 2 cents...
