Car Consoles: Aid Or A Distraction

distracted drivingNew cars come with cool technology on the dashboards. Car consoles are supposed to make driving more convenient. However, new technology can take a person’s eyes off of the road. A team of researchers at the University of Utah examined the effects that technology had on driving. They found that touchscreen tasks took drivers’ eyes off of the road for an average of 24 seconds.

Navigation systems were among the most distracting systems. They distracted drivers for an average of 40 seconds. The researchers asked drivers to engage in various tasks while they were driving. The subjects had their cognitive and visual distraction measured.

The United States Department of Transportation considers distracted driving as any non-driving activity that takes a person’s attention away from the driving. It is important to note that it does not take long for a person to get distracted and get into an accident. There have been a number of cases reported where a person got into an accident while changing the radio station, which is something that can be done in two seconds.

In the past, vehicle consoles were simple. People used to have a radio with only five or six stations. Today, people have satellite radio with thousands of stations that they can choose from. Consoles can also come with GPS devices. More buttons and possible functions creates more opportunities for distraction — and, thus, more risk to the driver and other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road.

Vehicle manufacturers often put more consoles in the vehicles in order to get more people to buy their vehicles. However, they are advised to consider the fact that technological advances can have adverse effects on driving.

Contact Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore

Distracted driving can cause a person to seriously injure or kill another person in an accident. If you have been injured in an accident, do not delay in contacting an experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer. The personal injury lawyers at Wagner, McLaughlin & Whittemore have years of experience in helping to make sure that people who are injured in a distracted driving accident are fairly compensated.