Smartwatches vs. Smartphones: A preliminary report of driver behavior and perceived risk while responding to notifications

This study examines driver engagement with smartwatches and smartphones while driving. Twelve participants (7 novice and 5 experienced smartwatch users) drove in a high-fidelity simulator while receiving notifications from either a smartwatch (Pebble) or a smartphone (LG Nexus 5). It was found that participants had more glances, on average, per notification while using the smartwatch compared to the smartphone. Further, their brake response times were longer when they received notifications prior to a lead vehicle braking event on the smartwatch compared to when they did not receive any notifications and when they received notifications on the smartphone. Contrary to these glance and driving performance findings, participants perceived similar levels of risk for the two devices, and they largely reported that smartwatch use while driving should receive penalties equal to or less than smartphone use with respect to distracted driving legislation. Thus, there appears to be a disconnection between drivers' actual performance while using smartwatches and their perceptions.