High Tech Car Advancements Leading to Rise in Distracted Driving

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called distracted driving “an epidemic” and that is by no means an exaggeration. With distracted driving causing an increasing number of serious injury and fatal car accidents, authorities are attempting to crack down on distracted driving with more stringent enforcement at the local level. One of the most common forms of distracted driving, texting while driving, is now illegal in 34 states. Under New York law, for example, it is illegal to text while driving, and cell phone users are required to use a hands-free device. The ban on cell phone use across the country has reduced distracted driving, but using a cell phone while operating a vehicle continues to be a serious problem. Cell phone use is, unfortunately, not the only form of distracted driving that puts everyone on the roadway at risk. Other recent developments in automobile technology can prove distracting for motorists as well.
Many GPS devices, for example, require the driver to touch a screen and even type on it to get directions. While the manufacturers of these devices recommend that drivers only use them after pulling over, there is no way to control how users will operate them. Another distracting device that is being increasingly installed in new vehicles is the satellite radio. These devices allow drivers to scroll through hundreds of radio stations. While this may be a useful feature for entertaining occupants, it can also take the driver’s hands off the wheel and eyes off the roadway.
Distracted driving is negligent driving. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a distracted driver, it is possible to recover compensation by filing a personal injury claim. It is never easy to prove fault and liability in any traffic accident, let alone in an incident that involves distracted driving. It takes a skilled and knowledgeable lawyer to ensure that the negligent parties are held liable and that the injured victims receive fair and full compensation for the injuries, damages and losses sustained.
The experienced New York personal injury lawyers at The Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm have four decades of experience helping injured victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a New York car accident, please call our offices at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) for a free and comprehensive consultation. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit our website: www.work4youlaw.com