The more gadgets the modern vehicle has, the bigger the potential for distracting the driver. How big a part does the technology we use while driving play in annual accident statistics and what are the consequences?
As we evolve through this digital age, gadgets are playing a bigger part in our lives, every day. Not only do those gadgets extend into our cars, but most of the time we install these gadgets before we are fully familiar with their controls. How many times have you been fiddling with your new sat nav or with your phone instead of giving the road your full attention? Could gadgets increase your risk of distraction? The NHTSA says yes since 3,522 people die each year on America’s roads because of it.
What to do if you are in a distracted driving accident?
There are all types of reasons why people crash their cars, but according to statistics from around the globe, distraction is one of the top reasons why drivers crash. Arizona’s finest Car Accident Lawyers in Tucson helped name other frequent reasons behind car crashes. They most often help clients who are distracted by a passenger. Driving while tired, speeding, alcohol or drug use, and failing to obey road signs, are all common too.
Top Gadgets which cause Distractions on the Road
Getting road trips ready is one thing, but should you add gadgets to your car if they may increase your risk of an accident? Here are the top 3 reasons people lose control of their vehicle due to tech distractions.
1. Your Mobile Phone
Of the situations that count as distracted driving associated with gadgets, texting while driving is high on the list. In fact, if you do text while driving, you increase your likelihood of an accident by around half.
Texting ranks higher than talking on the phone, which is the second reason people use their phones while driving. Next comes adjusting the music using your in-car computer. Lastly, other cell phone-related interactions make you about four times more likely to have an accident.
2. Your Sat Nav
You should set your sat nav before you leave for your journey. Adjusting it on the road is another sure way to increase your chances of an accident. Around a quarter of all drivers who experience crashes and admit to causing them, typically blame their sat-nav technology.
The correct way to set it up is to do it while your car is parked. If you must reset it again as you move, stop somewhere safe to do it.
3. Infotainment Systems
From 2020, over 80% of all new cars manufactured will come with some form of onboard computer. The type of computer which combines information for the driver while providing music or media entertainment for the passengers is called an infotainment system.
As these systems evolve, they are incorporating safety measures of their own with each passing year.
Gadgets are Not All Bad
Lastly, let’s pause to reflect that gadgets in our vehicles are not such a bad thing. If it were not for improvements in the tech field, auto engineers would not design cars which ran on reduced fuel, produced less emissions, had more efficient braking systems, and so on. Using tech in your car is no bad thing, if you are parked in a safe place when you use it.
