Distracted Driving Accidents: Is Technology the Solution to a Problem Caused by Technology?
The Delaware auto accident attorneys of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman are dedicated to helping accident victims get the compensation they need when they have suffered a serious injury in an accident that was caused by the negligence of another person. Please contact us to meet with a member of our team in one of our offices, located in Seaford, Wilmington and Newark.
A young woman made the tragic choice to check the text messages on her iPhone while she was driving in 2013 in Texas. That decision, which pulled the young woman’s attention away from the task of driving, cost two people their lives and a seven-year-old was left paralyzed after the terrible crash that ensued. The tragic crash could have been prevented had the woman made a different choice. However, Apple, the manufacturer of the iPhone also had the choice to include a feature that would effectively “lock out” the ability to use the phone while driving.
The family members of the two people who were killed and the child who was paralyzed have filed a lawsuit against Apple: Meador, et al v. s Apple Inc., U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 6:15-cv-715-MHS-KNM. The lawsuit, according to a story in the New York Times, alleges that Apple knew that its phones would be used for texting, yet they did nothing to prevent the driver who caused the auto accident from texting dangerously. The driver who caused the crash was charged with negligent homicide and sentenced to five years on probation. Legal experts doubt that the lawsuit will succeed, but the question about whether cell phone manufacturers have the responsibility to develop and implement technology that makes it impossible for users to talk on the phone, send and receive text messages and surf the web while they are driving.
Former chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and current president of the National Safety Council, Debra Hersman, said with regard to the technology that would prevent users from being able to use their mobile phones while driving, “The technology exists — we just don’t have the stomach to implement it.” Indeed, it is rather old news that Apple has a patent on lockout technology, but it is unclear if the technology has been developed or if the company has any plans to implement it. Mobile phone manufacturers are fully aware of the dangers of distracted driving and the role their products play in causing traffic crashes, serious injuries and deaths. Some manufacturers have participated in public awareness campaigns that discourage talking and texting while driving, they make apps that allow the users to place the phone in some form of “driving mode” which is similar to airplane mode where they will not receive notifications of incoming text messages or phone calls.
The technology exists and can be voluntarily engaged by each user to prevent them from being distracted by their phone while they are driving. In order to stem the tide of traffic crashes, injuries and deaths, each driver is forced to make the choice whether they want to err on the side of caution and put their phone out of sight and out of reach while they are driving, or they make the choice to go ahead and flaunt the law and use their phone while driving because they are confident that they can perform both tasks equally well with full attention. You can save your life and the lives of the other drivers with whom you share the road by making the right choice and setting the example for your kids to do the same.
If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by a hit and run driver, we are here to help you. At the law offices of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, our experienced auto accident attorneys in Newark, Seaford, Wilmington help people throughout Delaware who have suffered an injury or who have lost a loved one in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. You are welcome to call us at 302.414.5553 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss your injury case with an experienced auto accident lawyer.
Related:
- Distracted Drivers Have Caused the Most Car Accidents in 2023
- New Technology To Help Reduce Distracted Driving
- Advertisers Seem to be Trying to Increase the Number of Distracted Drivers on the Road
- Distracted Driving in Delaware Nearly Doubled Last Year
- Smartphone Addiction and Its Role in Delaware Distracted Driving Crashes
- Could You Be Liable for a Distracted Driving Crash Because You Sent a Text Message to the Driver?
- 70 Percent of U.S. Car Crashes Caused by Distracted Driving
Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.