Even though we are more than a month into the latest school year, the focus on preventing accidents caused by distracted driving should not change. After all, going to football games and pep rallies are going to be commonplace among young drivers throughout the fall. But as we have seen with great detail, younger drivers (especially those under the age of 18), are much more likely to be hurt or killed in an accident involving distracted driving.
A number of companies have offered advancements where text messages may be heard (instead of read) so that drivers can ostensibly keep their eyes on the road. Also, one company, Navdy, offers a device where text messages may be seen right in front of the driver (or at least on the windshield) so that drivers do not have to look down at a display. Both are meant to help drivers minimize distractions so that viewing and responding to text messages may be completed safely.
However, there are serious questions as to whether these advancements can curb distracted driving. Essentially the American Automobile Association released a study indicating that while a driver’s eyes may stay on the road, the additional cognitive distractions may still lead to mistakes while behind the wheel because a driver’s brain only has so much capacity to process information.
With that, safe texting mechanisms may be fine extras that make new cars attractive, but drivers still must use due care while driving and try to limit distractions. If you have questions about accidents involving distracted drivers, an experienced personal injury attorney can help.