As each of us gets to be about 16, we covet the all-mighty driver’s license. Just the thought of having the freedom and independence of driving ourselves to where we need or want to overwhelm us. However, technology has changed a great deal since today’s 30 and 40 somethings were 16. Cell phones were here, but not as accessible. GPS existed, as well, but was not a mainstay in our cars, and while there has been the option of listening to music in your car for decades, we were not allowed the options that today’s young drivers are. But is it a good thing? Is technology helping or hurting the simple task of driving? Below are some reasons to avoid technology in your vehicle.
Temptation Is Often Too Much
As a driver of any age, the temptation to use our technology while driving is often too much. Most older people in the crowd will use a drive from one place to another as extra time to get in a few phone calls or listen to their favorite song. In essence, our vehicles become a mobile office of sorts. Many young drivers call and text friends and parents while driving. Again, most of the time, it is to save time. It is viewed as a great inconvenience to most to pull over to make a call or send a text. Unfortunately, the best intentions do not help the fact that you are distracted from the main task at hand… driving.
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It Only Takes a Few Seconds Of Distraction
So, if you decide to ignore the warnings because you are “have Jedi reflexes” (someone actually said that one time when referring to being distracted), how long does it actually take before you are in danger of losing control of your vehicle and causing someone to need a personal injury trial attorney? It only takes 2 seconds! In 2 seconds, you could miss a light change and ram the car in front of you, or unknowingly cross the double yellow line into oncoming traffic, or go tumbling off a mountain. Just because you HAD to check that message, refer back to the GPS, or hook your phone up to the radio to hear that new song you downloaded.
The Laws Are of Little Effect
As with any discovery or technology, laws are eventually formed to govern their use and safety. Since 2010, texting while driving has been banned. Even before that, it was still a secondary offense. As of today, there are no laws against using GPS while driving in most states. You can even use your phone’s GPS while driving, but it is recommended that you have another person help you navigate so you can pay attention to driving. Even with these laws in place and the education spread across the nation on distracted driving, it claimed over 3,400 lives in 2015.
Technology is a great tool and can be a huge asset in our daily lives, but we must learn to use it in moderation and responsibly as with anything else in life.
