6 Technologies Helping Prevent Distracted Driving
Over 1,100 people are injured in distracted driving accidents every day. Preventing distracted driving means putting your cell phone away, not driving while tired and not multitasking while behind the wheel. But one notification on a person’s phone can lead to an accident.
Perhaps a child has to be picked up from school, or you’re waiting on a call from a loved one admitted to the hospital. You look down at the phone every time a notification pops up.
All it takes is a second or two to get into an accident says David Boehrer Law Firm.
Technology can help prevent this distracted driving, allowing you to avoid injury or death.
Which technologies are helping prevent distracted driving?
1. Smartphone Blocking Apps and Software
If you have a problem paying attention because you’re always on your smartphone, there are apps and software that can help. Apple’s iOS 11 introduced a feature called Do Not Disturb While Driving which blocks texts and phone calls while the vehicle is in motion.
ATT&T’s DriveMode is an app that’s free and will engage when the vehicle is traveling at 15 mph.
Both apps will block texts and can even send text replies automatically to tell friends and family that you’re in the middle of driving.
2. Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA)
Lane-keeping assist is an advanced system that has been able to prevent accidents by braking and steering a person back into a lane if it starts to drift out of the lane. If you start nodding off, this system can prevent you from drifting into oncoming traffic.
3. Lane-Departure Warning (LDW)
Lane-departure warning systems are going to warn you when your vehicle starts to drift out of the lane without a turn signal on. No correction is taken, like with the LKA, but this system will provide an audio alert when you’ve shifted out of the lane.
Statistics and trial attorneys found that over 85,000 accidents would have been prevented in 2015 alone if LDW systems were installed on all vehicles.
4. Forward-Collision Warning (FCW)
Forward-collision warning systems are put in place to provide audible, visual and tactical alerts to drivers when a collision is imminent. Studies show that there has been a 27% reduction in rear-end crashes thanks to the introduction of FCW systems.
5. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
Automatic emergency braking systems will engage the brakes if a driver doesn’t react when a potential accident is going to occur. When combined with an FCW system, both of these systems are able to reduce rear-end accidents by 50%.
6. Blind Spot Monitors
Blind spot monitors are able to detect vehicle that is in your blind spot. When merging onto the highway, this may mean the difference between veering into another vehicle or merging into traffic safely.
Many of these systems are pre-installed in newer vehicles, but aftermarket systems are also available. Aftermarket systems allow you to outfit your older vehicle with many of these accident prevention systems.
With a rise in distracted driving-related accidents, these technologies are able to save lives, reduce the risk of accidents and help keep insurance premiums under control.