Is Tech Making People Worse Drivers?

There are certainly some ways in which technology has made people worse drivers. A common example is texting and driving. This has become much more common since the smartphone was invented, and it causes numerous car accidents every day.

But other types of technology are focused on keeping people safe. For example, new cars often have backup cameras, advanced braking systems, lane departure warning systems, blindspot monitors, built-in navigation systems, adaptive cruise control and much more.

How could these systems make people worse at driving?

The truth is that all types of technology could be causing a decline in driving ability. The issue is that these systems are designed to help, but people are quickly becoming reliant on them.

For example, if someone has a vehicle with an automatic braking system that monitors traffic ahead of them, that person may not worry about maintaining a proper following distance. They just trust the car to stop them before causing an accident. They stop doing things like staying alert and focused on the road or counting off three seconds when looking at the gap between cars.

But this can easily cause an accident. For instance, perhaps the car’s systems won’t react in time. Or maybe that person will find themselves driving a different vehicle without all of the same technology that they’re used to. If they become overly reliant on tech, their own ability to drive safely and correctly declines.

Have you been injured?

Technology isn’t going away, so this problem will likely continue. If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by another negligent driver, you may be able to seek financial compensation.