I work for an organization called Friday Night Live in Sacramento County. Friday Night Live (FNL) focuses on preventing drinking and distracted driving and promotes a positive place for middle school and high school students to make healthy decisions. One thing that I have learned while working for FNL is some of the startling statistics related to the dangers of distracted driving. Most aspects of distracted driving are related to abuse of technology such as fiddling with GPS devices, changing songs on an Ipod, texting, and talking on the phone while driving a vehicle. Despite recent legislation in the state of California making texting and talking on the phone illegal, many Californians take the risks and do it anyway. Focusing on these technologies takes a driver’s focus away from the road and makes them more likely to get into a crash. Most people say that it is obvious that texting while driving is dangerous and distracts drivers from the road, and yet most also admit to having done it. The dangers of distracted driving are so astonishing, that it appalls me to read news articles that companies are creating new technologies for drivers on the road.
The New York Times article “Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards” published in January 2010 discusses companies like Intel and Google sharing their ambitions at the Consumer Electronics Show to shift their attention “from the desktop to the dashboard.” As if cell phone communications were not enough, now consumers will have the option to scour the internet while they drive. Despite efforts of safety advocates and lawmakers, these companies are once again putting profit over safety. The companies have stated that when the “Audi System” turns on, a warning message will read, “Please only use the online services when traffic conditions allow you to do so safely.” But honestly, do they really expect this to deter consumers from using their products when the conditions are not safe? In my opinion, we should not trust consumers with this option when it could jeopardize the lives of others on the road. Checking the weather or sending an e-mail should not be prioritized above the safety and well being of drivers and passengers on the road.
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3 comments:
You're absolutely right. I think that it's the company's responsibility to recognize the dangers that such technology might pose. And if the company won't be morally upstanding, then hopefully the government will step in and regulate some of these ideas.
Normally I'm not one to oppose technological progress, but this isn't something we can afford, nor is it a need in any sense of the word.
Part of the reason that people don't take the dangers seriously may be that, if merely caught rather than killed, the repercussions are quite mild. Last I checked, the first time one is caught texting while driving one faces only a $50 fine. Compare this to the thousands of dollars involved in a DUI situation.
The law has not yet caught up to internet enabled dashboards. When it does, it should establish more severe consequences for distracted driving, because comparable laws for texting and talking on the phone are clearly not strong enough deterrents.
Even attempting to fix my GPS while I'm driving is terrifying. I can't imagine companies attempting to promote reckless driving. There ought to be greater regulation to prevent this technology from reaching consumers.
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