Cars equipped with high-tech features can tempt drivers to take their eyes off the road. Illinois does have laws prohibiting texting while driving, and bans all drivers from handheld cellphone use while driving in construction and school zones. But in the state and around the country, hardly any rules regulate what carmakers can utilize on their vehicle’s touch screens.
As carmakers look to satiate new buyers, they are putting more social media, infotainment, and applications on their touch screens. As if texting and cellphone use weren’t enough of a problem, this now raises even more concerns about distracted driving. Reports show that distracted driving is involved in 80 percent of all accidents and causes 5,500 deaths a year.
Consumer Reports found that many touch screen devices take six steps to activate features and roughly 10 seconds of a driver’s concentration.
Consumers increasingly feel the need to “stay connected” when they are driving. Many drivers use what seems to be a free moment to look up an address, see a Facebook post, or read about a restaurant they are headed to. However, it only takes a few seconds for a dangerous situation to occur and a life to change.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will soon issue guidelines so that new vehicles have technology that can be safely used. “We’re going to get to a place where consumers will have adequate ways to control the distractions in their vehicles,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Consumer Reports advocates that, “While the connected car does have its appeal with quick access to information that can help you save time and gas, consumers should use these electronics sensibly and help reduce the risk by planning ahead of time.”
The NHTSA is pushing for more technology to prevent accidents due to distracted driving. Technology that wirelessly transmits actions between vehicles, synchs with traffic signals and speed laws, and activates brakes automatically when an accident is imminent are the wave of the future.
“Rather than react to every technology as it pops up, NHTSA needs a framework that clearly defines the danger zone for the driver, allowing us to keep pace with the industry rather than playing catch-up,” said NHTSA administrator David Strickland.
When an accident due to distracted driving happens, a driver or passenger has the right to go after the guilty driver and get compensation from the car insurance company for medical expenses.
Paul Greenberg is a Chicago accident lawyer and Chicago accident attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.
