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Technology is no substitute for attentive driving

On Behalf of | Oct 5, 2018 | Car Accident Injuries |

Those in the Northeast Wisconsin area around Green Bay who have bought a new car recently may well have been impressed with all the new technology that was not available even 15 or so years ago.

In addition to a lot of added comforts and conveniences, cars are now routinely equipped with technology that really does prevent accidents and save lives. According to one recent report, new features that can help drivers detect cars in their blind spots or avoid hitting something in front of the car prevent over 2.5 million crashes each year. This translates in to 1.1 million injuries being prevented and over 9,500 lives saved.

However, if there is any drawback to these new systems, it is that drivers tend to trust them, and, in a lot of cases, without really understanding how they work.

For instance, nearly 4 out of 5 drivers did not realize that a blind spot warning system would likely not pick up a bicycle or even a car speeding past, even though manufacturers do issue warnings about this limitation.

On the flip side, 1 out of 4 drivers admitted that they were willing to rely on the blind spot warning system exclusively, not even bothering to double check with a quick glance over the shoulder before changing lanes.

Likewise, while almost 40 percent of drivers did not have a complete understanding of how their cars helped prevent rear-end accidents, 25 percent of drivers said that they trusted this system enough to engage in distracted driving behavior in lieu of paying attention to the road.

Technology is a valuable tool for helping drivers prevent accidents, but it is not substitute for driving safely and carefully. Motorists in Wisconsin to just that, regardless of how their vehicle is designed. If they do not do so, then a victim of their negligence may pursue them for compensation so they can cover the cost of their car accident injuries.