There are many new types of safety technology in modern vehicles. Backup cameras are now standard equipment, for example, so every new vehicle will have one. Many vehicles have adaptive cruise control (ACC), blind spot monitoring systems, forward collision warning systems and even advance braking systems that give the car the ability to stop itself to avoid a crash.
However, car accident rates are not declining. Does this mean that the technology is actually making things worse and causing accidents? Why doesn’t it prevent crashes when this is what it was designed to do?
Drivers become complacent and reliant
The issue is that many drivers either become reliant on their technology or they become complacent, feeling like the technology itself will save them from an accident. Even in a modern vehicle, the issue is human error.
In other words, an automatic braking system is supposed to prevent accidents if a driver makes a mistake. But if the driver knows that they have that system installed on their vehicle, they may be more likely to do things that they know are dangerous, such as taking both hands off of the wheel while talking to passengers, texting and driving, and the like.
But this complacency is dangerous. Auto technology cannot prevent all accidents, especially for negligent and inattentive drivers. Becoming reliant on this technology to keep people safe just means that accidents will continue to happen because the human drivers will keep making mistakes.
Have you been injured by a driver who negligently caused a crash? You may deserve compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.
