The voice recognition software option on most new cell phones was designed to make texting safer but it may actually be doing more harm than good. I can’t argue with this either, as I use the ‘voice-to-text’ feature on my smart phone, but not while driving because it seems to be even MORE distracting. Once you speak, you have to look at the phone to see what it typed for you, defeating the purpose completely! You agree?

A recent study by researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute evaluated drivers as they were texting and driving. Some texted from a hand-held device others used voice-activated texting. Drivers using a traditional keyboard performed very poorly. Those using the voice activated option drove slightly better. They didn’t have a problem receiving the texts but sending them presented a higher mental effort. They also had a high frequency of glances away from the roadway and slower reaction times.

Be honest: do you find it easy or difficult to text using voice activation software?

Read more at Virginia Tech