As personal injury lawyers, we have constantly been following legislation and statistics regarding the use of cell phones and their effect on road safety. In many jurisdictions including Ontario, the use of cell phones has been outlawed while driving, forcing drivers to use hands-free technology if they are to make phone calls when on the road.
This shift to hands-free technology has spawned a number of studies, which have attempted to analyze whether these technologies are indeed safer to use than the outgoing hands-on systems, which have been outlawed.
A recent study by the American Automobile Association has shown that even tools that allow a driver to make phone calls without the use of his or her hands can significantly increase the risk of a car accident. The thinking goes that although hands-free technology allows the driver to maintain his or her hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, the concentration required to operate these devices distracts the driver and causes a high level of inattention.
Because the brain is focused on things other than driving, the driver may miss things like a stop sign or a red light without even noticing. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in motor vehicle accidents. New “voice-to-text” systems seem to be particularly distracting, putting in question the market’s evident migration towards these technologies.
At Intraligi Law Firm, we want to remind all drivers that basically everything that could even remotely distract you from the road could lead to a car accident. We’ve written extensively in the past about texting and calling while driving, but want to remind our readers that any distraction is a dangerous one, so don’t be fooled by the appeal of hands-free technology while driving, even if these are still acceptable by law.
Stephan Intraligi, Hon.B.A., J.D., Esq.
Mr. Intraligi is a personal injury lawyer in Toronto, and also offers consultations as an injury lawyer in Ottawa to all victims of car accidents, slip and falls, and all other type of personal injury-related matters.
