More People Texting While Driving
The distracted driving problem is getting worse. That’s according to the CDC. Studies show that more than half of teen drivers sent at least one text or email behind the wheel in the past 30 days. Distracted driving is on the rise among all age groups. That’s why the U.S. Department of Transportation is funding increased enforcement of distracted driving laws.
The lure of our smart phones is so strong that the threat of tickets won’t be enough to stop most people from using their gadgets behind the wheel. That’s according to Dr. David Greenfield, who heads of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction.
What’s the fix? Some cell phone service providers are offering apps that silence a phone when it’s in a moving car. Most of them rely on GPS to shut messaging down when the phone’s traveling more than 10 miles per hour, but since the apps can’t tell whether the user is driving a car, or riding a bus, they all come with override buttons so text junkies can simply bypass the application.
So, a lot of experts say the best way to eliminate the danger of texting behind the wheel is to eliminate human drivers altogether. Experiments with driverless cars are already underway. You’ll simply hop in the car, plug in your destination, and the car will use radar and sensors to drive there, accident-free.
It may seem futuristic, but carmakers like General Motors and Audi already have several self-driving prototypes in development. And experts predict that robot-like cars will be the norm in the next few years.
The lure of our smart phones is so strong that the threat of tickets won’t be enough to stop most people from using their gadgets behind the wheel. That’s according to Dr. David Greenfield, who heads of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction.
What’s the fix? Some cell phone service providers are offering apps that silence a phone when it’s in a moving car. Most of them rely on GPS to shut messaging down when the phone’s traveling more than 10 miles per hour, but since the apps can’t tell whether the user is driving a car, or riding a bus, they all come with override buttons so text junkies can simply bypass the application.
So, a lot of experts say the best way to eliminate the danger of texting behind the wheel is to eliminate human drivers altogether. Experiments with driverless cars are already underway. You’ll simply hop in the car, plug in your destination, and the car will use radar and sensors to drive there, accident-free.
It may seem futuristic, but carmakers like General Motors and Audi already have several self-driving prototypes in development. And experts predict that robot-like cars will be the norm in the next few years.
