The first study of driving while texting with Google Glass determined that the hands-free eyewear is just as bad as texting while using a smartphone and driving.
"When you look at how fast people react to an unexpected traffic event - how fast they slam on their brakes, we didn't find a statistically significant difference between Google Glass and smartphones," said psychological researcher Ben Sawyer at the University of Central Florida, according to Reuters.
Google Glass owners are able to send out text messages by using voice transcription technology, along with head commands.
Forty-four states ban texting while driving, and the risk of crashes or near-crashes doubles when drivers decide to text while behind the wheel of a car, according to The Governors Highway Safety Association.
LegiScan, a legislative data service, shows that eight states have considered laws this year to ban drivers from using Google Glass and other head-mounted computers or displays.
Google Glass advocates claim the wearable device delivers information with less distraction because drivers' eyes remain on the road.
"Looking does not necessarily mean you are seeing," said Sawyer, since thought processes remain affected.
"Glass is built to connect you more with the world around you, not distract you from it," Google spokeswoman Anna Richardson White said, according to Reuters. "As we make clear in our help center, Explorers should always use Glass legally and responsibly and put their safety and the safety of others first," Richardson White said. The company refers to Google Glass users as Explorers.
At least 40 people took part in the study, which they texted about an arithmetic problem through Google Glass or a smartphone while driving in a simulator.
Drivers were met with a car braking suddenly in front of them.
After a near-collision in the simulator, Sawyer said that those texting demonstrated different levels of confidence in their ability to text and drive safely.
Smartphone users were able to create more space than Google Glass users between their car and the vehicle ahead, according to Reuters.
Google Glass did offer one advantage however. Users were able to recover from the near-accident quicker, getting back up to speed on the road faster than those using smartphones.
The difference might suggest that future technological advancements could lessen distraction issues.
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