We all know that technology is here to stay…
But as technology continues to become an essential part of our lives, we need to reflect a little on how much we depend on it. For example:
The technology applied to the improvement of the pedestrian crossing has allowed people to cross the street safely. Over time, this has worked well and surveys show it, pedestrian accident rates at traffic lights have decreased compared to previous years. Society has placed its trust in technology.
These technologies allow us to travel more safely, however, they can become a double-edged sword, because some devices are a distraction factor for drivers and eclipse the freedom of users, since some people develop addiction to these devices.
And so, we ask ourselves the next question about distracted driving.
Does technology have an obligation to keep us safe?
In California, a man who was taken to a hospital after being hit by a driver who was texting. The victim of the traffic accident has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple calling for this tech giant to allow a phone app that causes a “lock” on the device so that drivers cannot use their phones while driving.
This “lock” app can be activated by detecting the car’s speed and location by synchronizing with GPS, and it would save many lives. But what other problems can arise from forcing drivers not to receive or send messages that could be important?
According to a report published in Fortune.com, the lawsuit alleges that Apple is missing the opportunity to prevent many traffic accidents and that its technology is currently causing a large number of accidents as drivers are distracted by texting while driving. The weight of the lawsuit was focused directly on the phone and not on the user who caused the accident, the reason for the lawsuit is to create an epidemic of distracted driving and tragedy on the roads.
Some of the most common accidents that can happen while driving talking on the phone or texting are head-on collisions and rear-end crashes.
Distracted driving
A forced solution
Julio Ceja filed the lawsuit asking the judge to halt all iPhone sales in California until Apple agrees to enable its “lock” application to prevent drivers from being distracted behind the wheel by texting and avoid accidents similar to the case of Ceja, who was hit by a distracted driver while crossing the street.
Mr. Ceja claimed that Apple’s blocking app is a violation of state consumer protection laws and is trying to include other car accident victims so he can exert pressure and make his bid more effective.
Ceja states that 52,000 car accidents occur in California each year as a result of distracted drivers who were using iPhones and also mentioned that at least 16 people die daily in the United States as victims of traffic accidents from texting while driving.
This is not the only conflict that the renowned Apple brand has faced, recently another case similar to that of Ceja came to light. The case of a parent of a 5-year-old boy who was killed in Texas by a driver who was distracted using FaceTime just before causing a fatal collision.
Types of Car Accidents
The Ideal Solution to Avoid Distracted Driving
We all agree that distracted driving is a huge problem in California, and the state has taken note of it. As of January 1, a new law came into force banning the use of portable devices, including GPS devices.
However, this new law presents a discordance since it prohibits the sending of text messages while driving in California, however, it is still allowed to use other social networking applications and messaging applications creating a kind of hole through which many cases similar to that of Ceja and the Texas child are filtered.
With the new law that recently went into effect, drivers in California can no longer use their phones for any reason, unless they perform manual actions from a phone that landlines on the dashboard, but only with a touch or swipe of the hand.
Many people criticize this new policy and do not believe that states can legislate a way to avoid this wave of accidents that has generated distracted driving and that the companies that manufacture these devices have a responsibility to create safety mechanisms that lock phones and devices to prevent their technology from causing accidents. Another group of people believe that the burden of responsibility should simply fall directly on the user.