Car manufacturers are constantly attempting to improve their information and entertainment products to impress their clients. However, Connecticut residents might be surprised to learn that a study from AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that these same systems might be contributing to distracted driving and the resulting accidents.
The study is one of many that focuses on the impact of new systems designed to provide information and entertainment and help drivers on the road. The result, however, has been that those same systems might be distracting drivers and contributing to a number of car accidents. Some of the systems are installed in the vehicles while others are used through cell phone apps. Either way, the systems demand enough concentration that drivers have a harder time focusing back on the road after using them. In fact, available data suggests that young drivers between the ages of 17 and 22 spend at least 12 percent of the time they are driving using their cell phones.
The impact of these systems on the road is dangerous enough that it can result in serious accidents and even fatalities. The studies’ authors suggest that manufacturers of both in-vehicle systems and mobile apps must continue to improve their technology, particularly as semiautonomous technology becomes more common in vehicles, and the risk of distracted driving increases.
Even with all the prevention tools available, a person might still suffer injuries in a car crash. In those cases, victims might contact a lawyer to help them file a personal injury claim to recover damages incurred in the incident. If distracted driving was a factor, an attorney might help people gather evidence to show how the liable driver was responsible. Evidence might include police reports and witness testimony. A lawyer might also represent the victim in negotiations with insurance companies and in court if the case ends up there.
