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You are here: Home / Archives for car accidents

car accidents

Role of Technology Debated in Distracted Driving Accidents

July 21, 2011 by Archives Leave a Comment

If you drive, it’s likely that you’ve talked, texted, or typed on your smart phone while behind the wheel, and it’s even more likely that you’ve seen others drive distracted. But despite the overwhelming prevalence of technology, a new report by GMAC Insurance suggests that people are starting to get the message about the dangers of distracted driving. In fact, nearly 75 percent of teenagers, the demographic most likely to text and drive, have said they have stopped using their cell phones in the car altogether. The report credits awareness programs, state laws prohibiting distracted driving, and technology that have made cell phones safer.

Despite the reduction in distracted driving rates, though, about 50 percent of total drivers admit to using their cell phones behind the wheel. And as distracted driving causes nearly 6,000 car accident deaths and 500,000 injuries each year, it’s clear that state and national officials will need to get much tougher on distracted drivers in order to make a serious dent in the dangerous practice.

A new report by the Governors Highway Safety Administration notes that distracted driving is a leading cause in 25 percent of total car accidents nationwide, but questions whether state cell phone bans have contributed to a reduction in these accidents. That’s likely because many state laws against distracted driving list it as a secondary offense, meaning the driver must be pulled over for another infraction in order to get a citation for texting while driving. Many states have also implemented laws that only target the use of hand held phones. That means that drivers can continue to carry on conversations with their cell phones, which the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has deemed nearly as dangerous as texting and driving.

To address this problem, safety advocates have said that police must get stricter on with multi-tasking drivers, and state laws should make it more difficult, not easier, to drive distracted. One example of an appropriate technology solution is a smart phone application that blocks incoming calls and text messages while the car is in motion, and sends an auto-reply that the driver will respond when he or she reaches the destination safely. Instead, many car companies and cell phone providers have jumped out ahead of the issue with dangerous distracted driving technologies that actually make it easier to talk or text while zooming down the highway.

OnStar has developed a clear example of technology that should be avoided: a voice-activated system that would update the driver’s Facebook status while in transit. And Ford has been an advocate for distracted driving laws as long as they include a loophole that allows hand-free tech devices – like their Ford Focus My Ford Touch system, which New York Times Personal Technology Editor Sam Grobart deemed even more distracting. Though they appear safe, tech-based distracted driving solutions should so far be avoided. “Studies show hands-free devices provide no safety benefit,” writes the anti-distracted driving group Focus Driven on its webpage. “It’s the conversation, not the device, that creates the danger.”

So while it’s incredibly tempting to text a friend, check email, or even talk on the phone while driving on city streets or highways, remember that you’re likely unaware of how distracting these innocent actions can be. No one thinks that they will become an accident statistic, but everyone can take steps to assure that their actions don’t lead to dangerous driving decisions. So instead of relying on technology to keep you safe in your car, putting down the phone is the best way to stay safe.

Visit Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood’s Faces of Distracted Driving webpage for some true, tragic stories about the impact of distracted driving on real families across the country.

Photo credit: Lord Jim

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: car accidents, distracted driving, social media, technology

Teen Drivers Most Vulnerable to Summer Car Accidents

June 30, 2011 by Archives Leave a Comment

For parents, there are many reasons to be concerned about teen car accidents. Teens are less experienced drivers than adults, they are more prone to reckless behavior, and teens are the demographic most likely to drive distracted. But it may come as an unwelcome surprise that parents have reason for additional concern during the summer months, which have a track record as the most dangerous for teen drivers. According to AAA, for example, seven of the ten most fatal driving days for teens fall in the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

On average, reports AAA, 422 teens are killed during each summer month, a significant bump compared to the average of 363 teens killed during the non-summer months. This is likely due largely to the fact that, in the absence of school, teens have more time to drive around town, and are more likely to chauffer other teens as passengers, which greatly increases the likelihood of distractions and accidents.

Even among teens who have avoided accidents, the chances are that they have come close, according to new data from Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions, which found that 68 percent of teens admit to narrowly avoiding crashes in the last year. Although most teens blamed the other driver for these near-collisions, 30 percent admitted they were speeding, 21 percent said they were texting, and 20 percent said they were talking to other passengers at the time of the incident.

This is not to say that parents have no hope when it comes to dangerous teen driving during the summer and year round. In fact, all parents should consider drafting a parent-teen safe driving contract with their teen driver. The contract should set guidelines against distracted driving, speeding, and other dangerous activities, and guarantee rewards if the teen fulfills his or her promises. If the teen breaks the contract, on the other hand, parents can take away certain driving privileges in order to promote safe behavior in the future.

The warning about dangerous months for teen drivers may serve as a damper on the prospect of summer fun. But if safety awareness can reduce car accidents and prevent fatal teen accidents, it’s well worth it. So take the time this summer to talk to your teen driver about the dangers of driving distracted or being reckless behind the wheel.

Photo credit: Amanda Wagner

Filed Under: News Tagged With: car accidents, personal injury, teen safety

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