Many people accept that new technology in vehicles is meant to make traveling safer, but new technology isn’t a replacement for safe driving. Some motorists count on driver assistance technologies, such as lane assist and back up assist, to keep them safe. And they do so to an unsafe degree.
For better and for worse, new technologies and safety features are only effective if drivers use them appropriately. One of the most important things to remember is that no technological advance can yet fully replace a human driver who’s paying attention to their driving duties.
Overreliance on technology
A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that many drivers treat the technology that’s meant to assist drivers the same way as fully self-driving programs. In the study, it was found that many drivers rely so heavily on these features that they perform non-driving activities while they drive.
Even with the safety features in today’s vehicles, drivers must avoid driving while they’re distracted, fatigued or impaired. All of these circumstances can lead to delayed reaction times. If the driver isn’t paying attention for just five seconds, the vehicle can move the full length of a regulation football field if it’s going 55 miles per hour.
Five seconds is the average time to read a text message. It’s also possible for a person to have a microsleep that lasts that long or even longer. In that time, the vehicle isn’t being adequately controlled, which is a significant safety issue.
Instead of relying on technology to keep them safe, drivers should take a proactive approach to safety. Being mentally and physically able to handle driving is one of the most important things that drivers can do before they head out on the roads.
While technology can help to enhance safety, it’s critical that drivers use it as intended. Crashes that occur because a driver was negligent can lead to the victims of the wreck filing a claim for compensation. That claim can seek financial damages related to their injuries, but this must be done within the time frame set by law.