New Guidelines to Stop Distracted Driving
Car accidents can occur for many reasons. Sometimes it is due to mechanical issues with a car. On different occasions, the road conditions or inclement weather causes car crashes. But one big reason is distracted driving, which the government is looking to curtail by releasing new guidelines to automobile manufacturers when they integrate new technology into the driving experience. The guidelines are in place to limit the amount which a driver has to look away from the road.
Drivers should only have to divert their attention from the road for two seconds at a time and up to twelve seconds total. Some operations are considered too dangerous to complete while driving such as manual text entry, display of text messages and video based communications and should only be allowed while in park. These recommendations are based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s study entitled The Impact of Hand-Held and Hands-Free Cell Use on Driving Performance and Safety Critical Event Risk. This new research shows that texting, browsing and dialing are responsible for the longest duration of lost focus.
Texting made drivers two time more likely to be involved in an accident. Tasks that required hands and eyes away from driving (such as looking up a contact, dialing a number and looking for a phone) made a crash three times more likely. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood released the following statement when he presented the guidelines. “Distracted driving is a deadly epidemic that has devastating consequences on our nation’s roadways. These guidelines recognize that today’s driver’s appreciate technology, while providing automakers with a way to balance the innovation consumers want with the safety we all need.
Combined with good laws, good enforcement and good education, these guidelines can save lives.” You can try your best to be safe on the road, but other people may be distracted while driving.
If you or a loved one are injured in a car accident, then it is important to receive counsel from an experienced personal injury lawyer in New Braunfels today.
