Technology has certainly changed driving forever. In some ways, this is good, but in some ways, it makes the roads much more dangerous than they used to be. It’s clear that technology is here to stay, so it’s important to inform yourself about how it can be beneficial and detrimental.
Many new driving technologies are focused on accident avoidance. Cars will come with sensor packages that can inform them, if another car is in their blind spot, for instance. Vehicles have cameras on both the back and the front to help drivers as they parallel park or back out of the driveway. Some vehicles even have sensor arrays that can tell if an accident may be about to happen ahead and can apply the brakes before a human driver could. None of these things make driving perfectly safe, but they all do lower the odds of an accident.
How are things more dangerous?
One way in which the roads have gotten more dangerous is when drivers rely on these technologies. For instance, drivers will sometimes get involved in accidents while using a driving assist mode, assuming that it can drive autonomously.
Additionally, technology creates a lot of distractions. A GPS device certainly makes it easier to find your destination, but it also increases the odds that you’ll get distracted while trying to read the screen or update the directions. A cellphone makes it easy to stream music while driving, but drivers certainly get distracted looking for a song or a playlist.
At the end of the day, technology is going to prevent some accidents and cause others. Those who have been injured by a distracted driver need to know about all of their legal options for recovery. Experienced guidance can help.