Missouri drivers can become inattentive for a number of reasons, but they may not think that vehicle safety features would be included among them. Studies have shown, however, that the features on semi-autonomous vehicles are a potential source of inattention and distraction. The Journal of Safety Research found, for example, that drivers react more slowly when traveling in semi-autonomous cars. It appears that complacency plays a role in this.
Drivers become complacent when they feel safe and comfortable in their cars, and this is just the kind of feeling that semi-autonomous vehicles can create. What drivers do not realize is that the safety technology can only assist them, not replace them entirely. As a result, drivers let themselves be distracted and even engage in unsafe driving habits like phone use.
This is not the sole issue, though. Semi-autonomous vehicles can endanger occupants and others on the road with faulty cameras and sensors that cannot detect, for example, objects in blind post. AI programs must wade through tons of data during every driving situation, and this can cause a dangerous lag of up to a few seconds.
Distracted driving is still the bigger issue. Crashes involving a distracted driver claimed 3,166 lives in 2017, and the number has yet to see any significant decrease.
Under personal injury law, victims of distracted driving crashes may be eligible for compensation. In this state, the amount that victims can recover in damages will be in proportion to the defendant’s degree of fault. To see how much they might recover, victims may see a lawyer for a case evaluation. The lawyer, if hired, may handle all negotiations with the defendant’s auto insurance company. If a fair settlement cannot be achieved, victims may take the case to court.