An increasing number of people in Washington, DC are swapping out their smartphones for smartwatches. Smartwatches are compact, easy to use and fit on your wrist so you don't have to worry about losing them. However, some people assume that convenience makes it acceptable to use their smartwatch while they're driving. In fact, studies have shown that using your smartwatch can be more dangerous than using your smartphone.

What makes using a smartwatch so dangerous?

A study in Canada examined the effects of a driving while distracted by a smartphone or smartwatch. During the study, the research gave the participants a smartwatch, smartphone or speaker and sent them message alerts. Some participants had to text their response while others responded verbally.

Surprisingly, the study found that the participants who used smartwatches were more distracted than the participants who used smartphones. In particular, text messages were more distracting than auditory messages. These results suggested that using a smartwatch while you drive is more likely to cause an automobile accident, particularly if you engage in texting while driving.

In the United States, distracted driving caused over 3,000 deaths in 2017. In Canada, distracted driving caused over 20% of accidents that involved death or serious injuries. Most states have laws against driving while using your smartphone, but they don't have laws regarding smartwatches. This gives some people the impression that it's safe to use their watches while they drive. Unfortunately, distracted driving leads to countless deaths, accidents, injuries and lawsuits every year.

Could you get severely injured in a car accident?

Every day, thousands of people engage in distracted driving in the United States. They might claim that they do it every day, but it only takes one second for them to cause a life-changing accident. The victim could suffer from serious injuries even though they didn't do anything wrong.

Whether you're driving a car, truck or motorcycle or simply walking down the street, a distracted driver could hit you any time. That's why you need an attorney who could help you file for compensation. They might contact the driver's insurance company or sue the driver directly.