Distracted driving is all too common in West Virginia and throughout the country. Distractions can be caused by nearly anything, including technology specifically designed to make the roads safer: advanced driver-assistance systems. ADAS tech has both pros and cons.
What ADAS does and how well it works
ADAS is meant to avert crashes by warning drivers about other vehicles, pedestrians and stationary objects. If drivers do not act quickly enough, then the automatic emergency braking system would be activated. ADAS can also prevent tailgating through adaptive cruise control and lane drifting through lane departure warning.
The number of crashes that ADAS can prevent is significant. One feature alone, blind-spot detection, reduces the crash involvement rate by 14%, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. ADAS vehicles see 27% fewer bodily injury claims and 19% fewer property damage claims as well according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions. If each light-duty vehicle fleet installed ADAS, the crash-related savings would amount to $264 billion.
Distractions may rise with ADAS
There have been concerns that ADAS features cause drivers to become complacent to the point where they become inattentive behind the wheel. It appears that automakers are not doing enough to educate drivers on the practical limitations of crash avoidance tech. It makes a car merely semi-autonomous, not wholly self-driving.
High installation and repair costs are another drawback. One AAA study says that the average repair bill for an ADAS vehicle can be twice that of an ordinary vehicle. In addition, the technology is far from perfect with automatic emergency braking sometimes activating at the wrong times. Drivers considering vehicles with ADAS features should take the time to get used to them before deciding whether or not to buy.
Do you have a personal injury case?
Perhaps you were injured at the hands of a distracted driver, even one who had crash avoidance technology on. In this state, those who incur a personal injury in a car wreck and who are less than 50% at fault can be eligible for compensatory damages. You may want to request a legal evaluation before anything else.
