Hands-free Devices Might Not Prevent Distracted Driving

Using a handheld device while driving is dangerous. Cell phone and tablet use while driving is so widely recognized as dangerous that many states, Florida included, have enacted laws banning text messaging while driving. Some states have even banned the use of handheld devices while driving outright.

Hands-free systems, such as bluetooth headsets and software that integrates a driver’s phone into his or her vehicle to speak through the car’s speakers, are often hailed as safe alternatives to using a handheld device while driving. But there is evidence that suggests these alternatives are not necessarily safer. Although these systems allow the driver’s hands to stay on the steering wheel, they still divert the driver’s attention from the task of driving.

Causes of Distracted Driving

Any time a driver is distracted, his or her performance suffers and the likelihood he or she will be involved in an accident increases. Aside from talking and texting, causes of distracted driving include:

• Eating or drinking while driving;
• Conversing with passengers in the vehicle;
• Grooming while driving;
• Looking at the scenery and other vehicles, rather than the road, while driving; and
• Dancing, singing, and otherwise “rocking out” to the music on the radio.

It is important to note that conversing with a passenger is different, and less distracting, than talking on the phone while driving. This is because the passenger can pick up on cues like difficult turns and congestion and stop speaking to allow the driver to concentrate.

Safe Driving is Always in the Driver’s Hands

Although hands-free cell phone use is safer than handheld phone use, it is still less safe than driving without having a conversation. Safe driving is a driver’s responsibility and it begins with his or her mindset. Although a driver cannot prevent roadway hazards like difficult terrain and negligent drivers, he or she can choose not to use a phone while driving, not to eat while driving, and otherwise to eliminate distractions so he or she can better handle these hazards and reach his or her destination safely.

Work with Draper Law Office to Seek Compensation for your Car Accident Damages

If you have been injured in a car accident, you could be entitled to recover compensation for your damages, either through a personal injury protection (PIP) claim with your own insurance provider or through a personal injury claim with the other party’s insurance provider. To learn more, contact Draper Law Office today at 866-767-4711 or through our website to set up your free, no-obligation legal consultation in one of our two Central Florida offices.