Many safety advocates and agencies declare distracted driving to be a major health epidemic in the United States. Drivers of all ages, skill levels, and experience levels can easily get distracted by many things both inside and outside the car. Sometimes, you don’t even realize that something is distracting until it’s too late and you crashed. One common culprit of distraction is your GPS on your phone.
You may think that your phone’s GPS keeps you safe since it tells you where to go without having to read a map. You know not to hold your phone, so you put it in a cradle or mount and proceed to drive according to the voice commands. This seems safe, right? Well, reports indicate that apps such as GPS are contributing to a rising fatality rate on the roads.
There are two problems with your phone’s GPS system:
- The app can give confusing or incorrect directions, leaving you scrambling to turn around or adjust your route.
- Drivers pay more attention to the GPS on their phones than they think. They constantly check the map, overview, or written list of directions to supplement what the voice tells them.
As it turns out, using a GPS on your smartphone can take both your eyes and your focus off the road many times during a single trip. Just looking away for a second is long enough to crash into another car.
There is no doubt that GPS is a useful tool for many drivers, especially when you don’t know your way around. You can try to avoid distraction as much as possible by doing the following:
- Set your destination before you start driving. Remember that typing in a destination while driving is the same as texting and driving and with the same risks.
- You may even want to examine the overview and written directions before you go, so you have a better idea of where you are going.
- If you have a passenger in the car, designate them the number-one navigator. They can input or change the destination or repeat directions you didn’t hear.
- Keep the volume as high as possible to help ensure that you hear all directions. Play it through your car’s audio system if you want to hear clearer directions. Every time you don’t hear something, you may look at your screen to double check, which means you’re not looking at the road.
GPS apps are a major convenience for many of us, especially if you travel to new places. You can use GPS in the car, but always be aware of how distracting it can be. Take steps to minimize your distractions and to keep you and your passengers safe.
Discuss Your Rights With a Connecticut Car Accident Attorney
The Hartford, Connecticut, law firm of Leighton, Katz & Drapeau can help protect your rights after a car accident and injuries. We want you to be safe, but we also know that accidents happen. Call (860) 875-7000 or contact us online to schedule your free case evaluation today.
