Infotainment Systems Linked to Increase in Distracted Driving

 Posted on January 24, 2018 in Distracted Driving

It is amazing to think of how far the technology in cars has come. From Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908 to driverless cars in 2018, car manufacturers are always inventing new ways to use technology to better the driving experience. Vehicles now have the ability to allow drivers to control the car via touch screen. Other vehicles allow drivers to access GPS navigation directions, play music, listen to the radio, and more, all on a screen within the car. About one in three U.S. adults uses “infotainment” systems like these while they while driving. These advances in car technology are meant to make the driving experience more intuitive and efficient, but are these infotainment systems safe?

Driving Blind

According to a study commissioned by the American Automobile Association (AAA), infotainment systems may be putting drivers, passengers, other motorists, and pedestrians at serious risk. Because infotainment systems take drivers’ eyes and attention off the road and hands off the wheel for potentially dangerous periods of time, they cause drivers to essentially be driving blind. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that individuals who use in-vehicle technologies like voice-based and touch screen features were dangerously distracted. The average user of infotainment features is visually and mentally distracted for over 40 seconds when using the system to do things like program navigation, find a radio station, or send a text message. The risk of getting into a car accident doubles by drivers taking their eyes off the road for only 2 seconds, and infotainment users are distracted for 20 times that long!

Staggering Numbers

In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed in car accidents involving distracted drivers and 391,000 were injured, according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many steps have been taken by organizations looking to lower these numbers. In Connecticut, a law was passed which prohibits the use of any hand-held mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle. Legislation like this is helpful in deterring people from using technology while driving, but when the technology is actually a part of the vehicle, it can be hard to resist the temptation to operate the system while driving.

Contact Us for Help                                                                                                         

The Woolf law firm is committed to representing clients with personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout Connecticut, and surrounding areas. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a distracted driving car accident, do not hesitate to seek qualifies legal assistance. Our attorneys help victims of accidents receive the compensation they deserve. Contact an experienced Connecticut personal injury attorney by calling 860-290-8690 for a free consultation today.

Sources:

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2094&Q=459390

http://newsroom.aaa.com/2017/10/new-vehicle-infotainment-systems-create-increased-distractions-behind-wheel/

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving