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Distracted driving accounts on average for nine deaths and 1,000 injuries each day in the United States. While a portion of these can be attributed to poor habits like texting while driving, there is a growing concern that today’s high-tech cars, with their multiple displays and infotainment features, may increasingly be at fault.
Even while providing safer, more economical transportation, tech-enabled vehicles can cause distractions from driving.
Displays Can Keep Heads Down, Not Up
Many cars and trucks today have a control panel in the middle of the dashboard, a smaller display inside the digital gauge cluster, and two or more screens in the passenger area for watching videos. That adds up to four or more displays in a single car or van.
The central display alone might have options for picking music, using a navigation system, adjusting the car’s performance/handling, accessing news feeds, and getting advice on places to shop and dine. That’s in addition to the capability to make and take phone calls. Beyond these first-level options, these systems also have sub-menus. That is a lot to keep track of while a driver’s primary job is to watch the road.
As far back as 2015, leaders at the Society for Automotive Engineers World Congress urged automakers that less was more. Their argument: Most motorists don't need the myriad choices that carmakers offer, and the choices can be confusing and possibly dangerously distracting. One even said: “Vehicles on the road today are overladen with tools.” A car is a means of transportation, not a multiplex theater.
Avoid Distracted Driving
It’s your responsibility as a driver to not allow yourself to become distracted by the vehicle’s technology while driving. Here are a few tips from Digital Responsibility to help you make the most of your vehicle's features and stay safe on the road.
Visit Selective’s Distracted Driving Safety page for more tips and resources to protect your family and/or business.
Even while providing safer, more economical transportation, tech-enabled vehicles can cause distractions from driving.
Displays Can Keep Heads Down, Not Up
Many cars and trucks today have a control panel in the middle of the dashboard, a smaller display inside the digital gauge cluster, and two or more screens in the passenger area for watching videos. That adds up to four or more displays in a single car or van.
The central display alone might have options for picking music, using a navigation system, adjusting the car’s performance/handling, accessing news feeds, and getting advice on places to shop and dine. That’s in addition to the capability to make and take phone calls. Beyond these first-level options, these systems also have sub-menus. That is a lot to keep track of while a driver’s primary job is to watch the road.
As far back as 2015, leaders at the Society for Automotive Engineers World Congress urged automakers that less was more. Their argument: Most motorists don't need the myriad choices that carmakers offer, and the choices can be confusing and possibly dangerously distracting. One even said: “Vehicles on the road today are overladen with tools.” A car is a means of transportation, not a multiplex theater.
Avoid Distracted Driving
It’s your responsibility as a driver to not allow yourself to become distracted by the vehicle’s technology while driving. Here are a few tips from Digital Responsibility to help you make the most of your vehicle's features and stay safe on the road.
- Plan your activities or route before you leave.
- Program your GPS and entertainment settings before leaving home.
- Make any calls or send any messages before cranking your car.
- When traveling with friends, designate a “screen tapper” to use the car’s command center..
- Pull over to a safe area on the side of the road, or off the road, if you need to send or receive a message.
Visit Selective’s Distracted Driving Safety page for more tips and resources to protect your family and/or business.
