Smart Watches, Driving Don't Mix, National Safety Council Warns
Friday’s release of the Apple Watch prompted the National Safety Council to issue an advisory warning consumers that smart watches and driving don’t mix. “Numerous studies have shown that drivers using cell phones significantly increase their risk of being involved…
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in a crash,” the council said in a statement. Smart watches, “which have capabilities similar to smart phones, could be even riskier,” the council said, citing a study by the U.K.’s Transport Research Lab. “Drivers wearing smart watches can call, text, email and surf the web, but the watch also vibrates when it receives a notification,” the council said. “That vibration could be very difficult to ignore,” as human “impulse” will be to look at one’s wrist, it said. “This could take a driver’s eyes off the road and mind off the drive -- a recipe for disaster.” Anyone who buys a smart watch should turn it off or remove it before getting behind the wheel, the council said. “All calls can kill, and no text, email or social media update is worth a life.” Apple representatives didn’t comment.