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12 DurhamCitizen.ca May 24, 2021

“ In Canada, distracted driving contributed to 21 per cent of accidents involving a death HEALTH&LIFESTYLE
and 27 per cent of accidents that involved serious injuries. Over 90 per cent of road accidents
happen due to human error — these accidents can be prevented.

Smartwatches are a bigger distraction

to drivers than mobile phones

An estimated 73.4 million people driver’s attention is taken away phones, while voice assistants were
w i l l b e u s i n g w e a r a b l e from the driving task because they less distracting. The drivers’ gazes
technologies in the United States are focused on something else.” were less focused while driving
by 2022. Wearables are smart Distracted drivers are slower to when they received written alerts
electronics that can be worn on become aware of safety concerns on their smartwatches than on
different parts of the body. The and understand how to resolve the their mobile phones.
most popular smart device is the p r o b l e m a n d t h e y c a n n o t We also found that drivers’ gazes
smartwatch. physically respond quickly. were less focused on their driving
An important characteristic of A distracted driver’s ability to when written alerts were delivered
wearable technology is that they operate a motor vehicle safely is to them on a mobile phone than
are easy to acquire and thus they impaired; they may not even be when they heard the alert through
can be used almost anywhere. This aware of a problem, or that they are a speaker. As well, drivers were
convenience and adaptability distracted at all. more distracted by written alerts
means that smartwatches are used Driving distractions are not than alerts given to them by voice.
in a variety of circumstances, limited to problems outside of a Overall, smartwatches do have a
including while driving a car. Safety motor vehicle. Transport Canada negative effect on an individual’s
while using a smartwatch use is an indicates that a distraction may ability to drive safely. We also found
issue for both smartwatch users take the form of texting, talking on be prevented. We set up an experiment in a that the safer way to both send and
and those around them. the phone or to passengers, eating Most U.S. states have laws that driving simulator that measured receive alerts was by voice.
Distracted driving o r d r i n k i n g o r u s i n g a n prohibit distracted driving: the driver responses to different kinds These results are important for the
Reduced reaction times and driver entertainment or navigation majority of states prohibit a driver of alerts from a smartwatch and a public and policymakers. While
distraction contribute to traffic system. Using a hands-free from talking on a mobile phone or mobile phone. These distractions, some jurisdictions might view
accidents. Recent research found electronic device is four times more texting while they are driving. including voice assist for drivers, using a smartwatch while driving
t h a t w h e n d r i v e r s h a d distracting than speaking to an Smartwatches are often not a part were compared by how the drivers as distracted driving, and this is
conversations on their devices — adult passenger. of this restriction. To change laws reacted. illegal in most U.S. states,
whether handheld or hands-free — Distracted driving laws so that the use of smartwatches is Our study placed 31 drivers into one individual police officers can use
reaction times increased, and a In Canada, distracted driving prohibited or restricted, research of four possible simulated driving their discretion in interpreting the
n e e d s t o s h o w h o w t h e s e situations. In three of the four
driver’s ability to assess and react to contributed to 21 per cent of laws of their state.
technologies distract drivers. situations, the drivers were sent
a problem decreased. In short, it’s accidents involving a death and 27 There needs to be more precision
Proof of distraction alerts on a mobile phone,
dangerous to use a smartwatch per cent of accidents that involved in how distracted driving is defined
Our research team at the HEC smartwatch or by speaker. The
while driving. serious injuries. Over 90 per cent of by the law as it applies to
Montréal Tech3Lab, a laboratory drivers had to answer these alerts
Transport Canada refers to this as road accidents happen due to smartwatches and their use by
s p e c i a l i z e d i n s t u d y i n g vocally. The fourth situation was
distracted driving: “When a human error — these accidents can drivers. Insurance companies will
interactions between people and slightly different: drivers received have a better understanding of
technologies, looked at what written texts by mobile phone or circumstances surrounding claims
particular characteristics of smart smartwatch and were to respond when the specifics of drivers’
A MAJOR SIDE EFFECT OF technologies and wearables may by using their phones to text a behaviour are considered.
reply.
contribute to driver distraction and
We believe that lives can be saved
Smartwatches more distracting
accidents.
DRINKING TOO We compared smartwatches to Our study offers insight as to what by informing the driving public of
the risks of using a smartwatch
l e v e l s o f d i s t r a c t i o n a r e
mobile phones, and looked at the
while driving. Safety messages can
MUCH effects of sending text or voice experienced by drivers’ specific be underlined with education in
messages on drivers’ reactions and
behaviours when they drive and
schools, social media, traditional
concentration. Our findings were use their smartwatches. We found media, marketing, safety alerts and
ALCOHOL Prevention. distracting to drivers than mobile
that smartwatches were more
published in Accident, Analysis &
enforcement. -msn.com
Treating obesity not
Like all aspects of a balanced diet, we know that over- as simple as telling
boozing isn't in our best interest. Alcohol impacts almost
every system in our body, hence the hit-by-a-train feeling
when we end up drinking too much alcohol at once. people to lose
First and foremost, alcohol impacts digestion. Alcohol
actually delays digestion by slowing stomach emptying. This
mechanism has serious downstream consequences when weight: Doctors
repeated long term.
While slower digestion may seem benign on the surface, it is
associated with many serious effects like weight gain, OTTAWA — New guidelines for
decreased absorption of nutrients, and digestive distress. treating obesity stress the need to
How does alcohol slow down our digestive system? Because focus on root causes rather than
alcohol is considered a toxin to our system, the body weight loss alone. Working with people to understand their context and
prioritizes the digestion of alcohol over food. Thus, That means working with patients culture, integrating their root causes ... are essential to
digestion significantly slows and does not resume until the culture” that underlie the issue, “ developing personalized plans.”
to understand the “context and
alcohol has been processed from our system. - Dr. David Lau

This phenomenon, paired with a high-calorie meal, can halt which could include genetics,
digestion and increase weight gain. When you consider that trauma and mental-health issues. The guide recommends a holistic issues, are essential to developing
oftentimes overindulging in boozy beverages is coupled The advice by Obesity Canada and approach in which doctors consult personalized plans,” adds Dr. David
with high-calorie comfort foods, it's no wonder how weight the Canadian Association of patients on goals they consider Lau, co-lead of the guideline and
changes happen. Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons important, and then collaborating professor at the University of
To make matters more serious, decreased digestion directly also pushes clinicians to recognize on a plan that is personalized, Calgary.
correlates to decreased absorption of nutrients. In fact, any bias they may have against realistic and sustainable. The advice is an update to the 2006
alcohol depletes many nutrients on its own even before overweight patients — such as “Obesity in adults: a clinical guideline and targets primary
considering the effects of slow stomach emptying. assuming they lack willpower or practice guideline” was published health care professionals, policy-
Decreased absorption from alcohol consumption can lead to are non-compliant. Tuesday in the Canadian Medical makers, people living with obesity
imbalanced nutrition and can contribute to digestive One of the lead authors, Dr. Sean Association Journal. and their families.
distress. Many of us have experienced the morning-after Wharton of Hamilton’s McMaster “ Wo r k i n g w i t h p e o p l e t o The experts say Canada has seen a
effect leaving us running to the bathroom in a hungover University, says treatment depends understand their context and threefold increase in obesity over
state. Oftentimes, digestion has resumed to its usual pace on “showing compassion and culture, integrating their root the past 30 years. Severe obesity has
by morning, but it leaves us with a sense of urgency as the empathy” and using evidence- causes, which include biology, increased even more, with more
night before is finally catching up to us. based interventions that focus on genetics, social determinants of than 1.9 million Canadian adults
patient goals. health, trauma and mental health affected. - The Canadian Press