Many people in New York look forward to the development of autonomous vehicles, hoping to remove the issue of human error from roadway safety. However, current technology has not yet reached the stage where cars can truly operate on their own. Partially autonomous innovations have led to safety options like lane-change alerts and collision detection, but auto accidents still continue to pose a major danger on the road. For Americans aged 15-29, car crashes are the leading cause of death. Over 3,000 people lose their lives in motor vehicle accidents every day, and many more are seriously injured as a result.
While technological development aims at avoiding car accidents, other electronic innovations have made the roads even more dangerous. With the rise of the smartphone as an ever-present companion, distracted driving poses a serious threat. When people text while driving, they take their eyes off the road, mind away from driving and hands off the wheel, giving them less control and time to respond in case of an emergency situation. Thousands of serious motor vehicle collisions are caused each year due to distracted driving. Of course, mobile phones are not the only culprit; drivers can even be distracted by the built-in entertainment systems in many modern vehicles.
Autonomous vehicles may offer a future in which all drivers can be distracted. Today’s advanced autonomous technologies, however, do not offer that kind of protection. Some drivers may be more prone to cause car crashes when operating a car with adaptive cruise control and other features, because they assume that they do not need to pay as much attention to the road.
Car crashes caused by negligent drivers lead to catastrophic injuries and lifelong disabilities. People injured in a car accident may consult with a personal injury lawyer about their options to seek compensation.