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How Can Vehicle Manufacturers Combat Texting and Driving (or Distracted Driving)

Parents have always worried about their children learning to drive, and this has become an even bigger concern with the advent of smart phones and texting. Ask any of today’s parents what their biggest fears are about their teens driving and they are likely to point to the very devices that provide them with greater access and communication to their child, as too many of them confess to texting, taking photographs, and performing other functions on their smart phones. The same is unfortunately true for adults, despite the constant flow of information regarding the dangers that it presents. In order to combat this dangerous epidemic, many car manufacturers have decided to take action on their own, using technology to combat the practice. Here are a few of the steps that vehicle manufacturers have taken to combat texting and driving.

In most cases, auto manufacturers have worked to provide drivers with ways that they can continue to use and interact with their devices without actually having to take their eyes off the road. Some examples include Bluetooth technologies that are almost completely voice-activated. These systems interact with the phone so that all a driver has to do is push a bottom that is located on the steering wheel and can then proceed to tell the phone what they want to accomplish. Ford has introduced a proprietary system called SYNC that allows the driver to both dictate and hear texts. It also gives parents the ability to block the phone’s operations while the vehicle is driving by using a feature called MyKey.

GM has introduced a completely different type of technology that actually detects when a driver’s eye is off of the road and either sounds an alarm or slows the vehicle, while BMS has introduced controls that allow drivers to simply wave or make a gesture in order to accept an incoming phone call. More than anything, car manufacturers are trying to put more devices within the driver’s line of vision in order to keep them from taking their eye off of the road. These include touch screens and dashboard screens that look like the interface on the smart phone so that drivers do not have to look away. Unfortunately, many safety experts feel that this will simply encourage drivers to interact with devices rather than focus on driving. The most effective methodology is likely technology that actually blocks the use of these devices while the vehicle is in motion. Though this may cause some unhappiness for passengers, it is worthwhile to prevent a deadly accident from taking place.

Distracted driving is responsible for far too many accidents, with many of them leading to injury and fatalities. If you or someone you love has been impacted by a driver who was texting or distracted while driving, then you need an advocate to stand up for your rights. Contact the attorneys at Jonathan Perkins Injury Lawyers to set up an appointment today.


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