Distracted driving is a bigger problem than we thought

The numbers don’t lie: 37,150 people in the US died due to distracted driving in 2017. But sadly, that’s not the worst part of the news. Researchers are discovering that there is no single cause for avoiding distracted driving.

This means that there is no direct route to a solution that will result in more and more deaths. Right now, the only thing that has been proven to work is spreading awareness about distracted driving.

Another thing experts are deciding to test is how to make smartphone connectivity with cars less conspicuous. Almost every new car on the market makes it easy to connect your phone to your car.

You can stream music, plot directions, and in some cases even order food, coffee, etc. This is diverting many drivers’ attention from the road, with drivers aged 17-22 spending at least 12% of their time behind the wheel playing games on their smartphones. Any percentage of time on your phone behind the wheel is too much time off the road.

Both Apple and Android have their own extensions for cars. At one point, Apple demanded more attention from customers than the Android version when entering addresses and getting from one place to another. But, when it came to texting, Android was much more of a distraction. However, both must make a change to reduce the threat of distracted driving.

With all the new technology in cars comes interior-facing cameras. Some people don’t agree with that for privacy reasons, which is understandable since, to some extent, it’s a basic right, in the eyes of most people. However, these cameras can help develop self-driving cars with the data they collect. Plus, it may be our answer to solving the distracted driving epidemic.

Data collected by cameras from accidents and everyday driving habits can be analyzed by experts to determine how to make new technology in vehicles less cognitively demanding or even develop an algorithm to prevent inappropriate use while the vehicle is in motion. movement.

But how much privacy are consumers really willing to give up? How much of your data are companies entitled to? At the moment, there is not much regulation, but it will probably come soon, as soon all new cars will have this technology.

There has to be some kind of compromise because when this data is used in the right way, breakthroughs can happen. For example, much of the tracking built into these cars can prevent crime. Much of the data provided can solve the mystery of crashes, including distracted driving crashes, and spark ideas on how to prevent them. The results can save money on car insurance, medical bills, and most importantly, lives that are priceless.

However, it is ultimately up to drivers to stop practicing distracted driving habits. Remember, distracted driving doesn’t just come from cell phone and car features that take your eyes off the road. It also includes eating, drinking, putting on makeup and more. It must be stopped to reduce the number of accidents and victims.

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