Electronic Devices & Distracted Driving: Common Questions Most Clients Ask

Several of our blogs articles are devoted to examining the key questions that most prospective clients ask us when they meet with us for the first time during an initial consultation. We feel that it is crucial for people, before they consult with our Georgia Personal Injury Attorneys, to be armed with the facts so that they can make informed decisions in their case. With this in mind, consider the following questions:

Have the existing laws prohibiting cell phone use been effective at discouraging drivers from using cell phones while driving?

A report put together by a range of traffic safety officials entitled "Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do" concluded that there was "no solid evidence that any ban is effective in reducing crashes, injuries or fatalities." According to an ABC New Report, two-thirds of all drivers admit to using a cell phone to text and talk while driving a motor vehicle.

Do voice activated systems that are being installed in new vehicles lower the probability of a collision when using the technology to talk or text?

Ironically, voice activated technology now being installed in vehicles to permit hands-free email and text activity may actually increase the risk of being involved in a collision. A study conducted by AAA in conjunction with the University of Utah analyzed driving behavior, eye movement and brainwave activity and concluded that speech-to-text systems constituted a greater distraction than anything else the researchers tested according to an ABC report. "Your brain is so overloaded with these talk-to-text tasks or talking on a cell phone that you have very little residual capability to attend to the roadway," explained one of the University of Utah researchers.

Is there anything parents can do to lower the probability that their teenager will be involved in a distracted driving accident?

Parents can take a number of steps to discourage their kids from texting and driving:

• • Discuss the severity of the danger or develop a contract with your kids that bans cell phone use as a condition of driving
  • Modeling appropriate driving behavior by abstaining from cell phone use when transporting kids in a car
  • Monitoring kids cell phone usage to determine if the phone is being used during times that your kids are driving
  • Install applications that disable a cell phone when driving or notify parents if a cell phone is turned on when someone is driving
  • Encourage your teens not to ride with friends that text and drive

One of the most important of these methods of discouraging your teen driver from using a cell phone when driving is for parents never to do so. Many of our Atlanta personal injury attorneys are parents of teenagers and recognize that sometimes it may feel like teens do not pay attention to the warnings and behavior of parents. However, studies have shown that the advice and driving behavior of parents may be the single most significant impact on teen driving conduct. Further, a survey by the Allstate Foundation revealed that 99 percent of parents believe that teens are influenced by the driving behavior of their parents.

Contact Our Experienced Atlanta Accident Attorneys For Your Free Consultation

Our car accident attorneys in Georgia invite you to review all five-installments of this blog series. If you still have further questions, we also encourage you to contact us directly to set up a free consultation. Our experienced lawyers at Montlick and Associates are available to provide effective legal representation to those throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.

No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.

Source:
https://www.aaafoundation.org/sites/default/files/MeasuringCognitiveDistractions.pdf

Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law
17 Executive Park Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Telephone: 1 (800) LAW-NEED
Telephone: 1 (404) 529-6333

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