Wednesday, September 3, 2014
GM Announces Plans to Build Vehicles which can Detect Distracted Driving
A report has surfaced which indicates that General Motors plans to build vehicles which would be able to track and aid in the prevention of texting and driving. Reportedly, GM will be installing cameras and sensors in vehicles which will track drivers’ head and eye motions and “alert drivers to prolonged moments of distraction.” The systems would track head and eye movements through the use of cameras that can detect subtle signs of distraction, like “the rotation of the head or frequency of blinks.” There is currently no word on how this information will be used to prevent distracted driving and what measures will be put in place to protect distracted drivers from themselves.
However, this author is not certain that General Motors, after the summer that it has had to endure with regard to the seemingly endless factory recallsfor its vehicles is perhaps the best automobile manufacturer to make the first foray into this particular vehicular improvement. One envisions a scenario where, a driver, armed with the knowledge that his vehicle will detect when he has gazed down at his cellular phone (or other implement of distraction) for too long, depends on the new distracted driving system that his new General Motors vehicle came equipped with to notify him that he needs to get his eyes back on the road. While this seems like a dangerous proposition in general (and could possibly ENCOURAGE distracted driving), when the company that might be pioneering this field of safety is the same company that has had what feels like every automobile they’ve ever made recalled at some point this summer for repairs and replacements of parts it does not put this author’s mind at ease.
As discussed previously in the Dolman Law blog, Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things a person can do. The recent smart phone revolution has created so many other ways that drivers can become distracted, as most of society now carries a miniature computer in the palm of their hand. A computer with the capability to venture to the far reaches of the internet, and to which drivers have direct access while they are behind the wheel. Many different methods for neutralizing the distracted effect our phones can have on us as drivers currently seem to be in the table, but I am not sure that this particular one is the solution to this particular problem.
Distracted driving is dangerous and our Florida drivers should be aware that any activity that requires their attention to be on their cell phone or anything other than the road and the vehicles around them is equally if not more dangerous and should be absolutely avoided. If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver you have rights under Florida Law. Contact a licensed Florida Personal Injury Attorney for advice. Dolman Law Group is able to provide zealous representation of injured parties that have been affected by the negligence of a distracted driver. Contact us for a free consultation and case evaluation by calling 727-451-6900.
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 451-6900