Distracted Driving and In-vehicle Technology
When you buy a new car now, it comes with all kinds of fascinating features. It is now estimated that within 5 years, approximately 90% of new vehicles will come with information and entertainment systems. Vehicle infotainment systems, like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or Toyota’s Entune system, can help you send text messages, make phone calls, check the weather, find a radio station, and operate the navigation system, all while you’re driving. But these new features can be dangerous for drivers.
What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is driving your vehicle without devoting all of your focus to that task. A distracted driver is trying to do multiple things at once. They are driving and possibly talking to a passenger, eating, putting on makeup, disciplining children, or engaging with a car’s in-vehicle technology. Because these activities take away at least part of your focus, it becomes a dangerous situation for everyone on the road.
Why is In-vehicle Technology Dangerous?
The infotainment system in your car can be a tempting distraction. The automobile industry claims that these new systems are better and safer alternatives for drivers than mobile phone and navigation systems that were not designed for people to use while driving.
However, a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety discovered that the infotainment systems in new cars could distract drivers for over 40 seconds at a time. According to AAA, just looking away from the road for two seconds can almost double your chance of being involved in an accident. Programming the navigation system was the most time-intensive task, forcing drivers to take their eyes off the road for more than 40 seconds. In that amount of time, a car driving 25 miles per hour would travel the length of four football fields, all while mostly driving blind.
Preventing Distracted Driving
Researchers say that these infotainment systems can be made safer by following federal recommendations such as logging out texts, disabling social media, and not allowing the programming of the navigation system while the car is in motion. But there are also steps you can take to reduce your own distracted driving.
There are clear steps you can take, like not programming your navigation system until your vehicle is parked. You can also place your phone in the glove compartment and make a choice not to sync it to the in-vehicle technology system. While this might not be realistic for all, there are other options to help you avoid the temptation of engaging with your car’s infotainment system, such as installing driving apps on your phone to prevent you from being distracted.
Contact an Experienced Florida Personal Injury Attorney
If you’ve been injured in an accident with a distracted driver, you should have your case evaluated by an experienced Florida personal injury attorney. Contact the trusted lawyers at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk or call us at 1-800-538-4878 to schedule your free consultation.