Attempts to Avoid Distracted Driving Can Lead to Worse Distraction

By Richard W. Sutten

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Motor Vehicle Collisions

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Last Modified on Mar 26, 2025

Ever since the surge in popularity of mobile phones brought on by smart devices, the amount of time that people spend tethered to electronics has increased significantly. There are even people who seemingly cannot put their phones down while driving a car, despite the safety implications of texting at the wheel.

Lawmakers have sought to reduce these dangerous actions, but drivers continue to find ways around the rules lawmakers create to promote public safety. One of the ways that motorists try to avoid consequences for texting while driving involves using talk-to-text software. They speak messages out loud instead of typing them with their fingers. This seemingly clever workaround has a strong association with worse distraction than standard texting.

Why talk-to-text is such a distraction

The software that analyzes human speech and converts it into written language has absolutely improved in recent years. However, most people are very aware of the limitations of this technology. They know from experience that the software might replace some of their words or miss some of them, resulting in a garbled or unintelligible message.

That awareness generally means that people experience more cognitive distraction while using talk-to-text software and that they will likely engage in visual distraction by looking at their devices while driving. People have a hard time stopping themselves from looking down to ensure that the software takes their dictation down appropriately. Experts believe that such software actually produces higher levels of distraction than standard texting does.

Distracted drivers are often culpable for the crashes they cause

Given that texting at the wheel is a violation of New Mexico traffic laws and that most people recognize how unsafe of a practice it is, motorists who caused crashes while holding a phone or using talk-to-text software could very well face personal responsibility for the collision that results from their bad decisions.

Those who are able to prove that someone was distracted at the wheel when they caused an injurious crash will be in a better position to negotiate an insurance claim or possibly pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused their harm. Learning more about driving safety trends, including safety tips that don’t actually make driving any safer, can help motorists minimize their personal risk on the road and safeguard their interests in the event that a crash does occur.

About the author: Richard W. Sutten

Founder of Sutten Law Group

Richard W. Sutten is the founder of Sutten Law Group in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Practicing since 1977, he focuses on personal injury law and advocates for clients navigating complex claims. A graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law, Mr. Sutten brings decades of experience to his practice and is admitted to the State Bar of New Mexico.

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