Efforts to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving can only go so far when motorists continue to engage in these risky behaviors. And the ability to enforce distracted driving laws can be hindered by a lack of funding.
Still, it’s not stopping the message from getting out, especially since there are more opportunities to do so with social media.
One of the main groups targeted by these messages is teenagers, who also happen to be the drivers with the highest risk of crashing because of distracted driving. In addition to educating teens on the use of cell phones while driving, emphasis is also being placed on other less talked about—but just as distractive—issues such as playing loud music and having other passengers in the car.
Experts indicate that it’s a challenge to raise awareness and convince drivers of the dangers when technology continues to grow. With that comes more opportunities to do other things on the road that do not include driving.
New systems being put in place that allow for the use of technology with minimal distractions may not be doing an adequate job. Studies on hands-free devices are showing that they aren’t much better. Any time a driver’s attention is turned toward something other than driving, it impedes safety.
This means that drivers may be getting a false sense of security from these systems. Or they may believe they’re perfectly capable of multi-tasking. But the reality is that any attention diverted away from the road increases the risk of a crash or another event in which a near crash could happen (such as swerving out of the lane).
When an accident is believed to have been caused by distracted driving, it may necessitate speaking to a lawyer. Contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates if seriously injured in a crash.
