In our last post, we talked about autonomous vehicles, these so-called "self-driving cars," that will probably become a reality very soon. But until they are finished and they become reality, there are plenty of questions raised by their potential existence. How does insurance work with self-driving cars? What happens when accident occurs? Who is at fault, and who is liable?
At the same time, we have a current problem with distracted driving, a behavior which self-driving cars could combat in theory. People are far too keen on using their cellphones when they should be driving their car with two hands on the wheel and their eyes looking at the traffic in front of them. In a way, self-driving cars and distracted driving focus our attention on a similar problem: the legal side of motor vehicle accidents is as complicated as it is important.
Until autonomous vehicles are "a thing," we have to worry about the ever-present threat of a driver looking down at their cellphone. 3,000 people die every year across the United States because of actions involving a distracted driver. This simply shouldn't be.
It is up to every individual driver to think about their behavior when they are behind the wheel. Is looking at a cellphone or an electronic device the safest thing you could be doing at the moment. No. Of course it isn't. By driving distracted, you put yourself at risk, as well as the innocent lives of everyone else out on or near the road.
Source: California Office of Traffic Safety, "Distracted Driving," Accessed June 15, 2016