NASHVILLE PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY DISCUSSES HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN MAKE OUR ROADS SAFER
For better or worse, it seems like every day we wake up to discover there has been some new technological advancement designed to make our lives easier. Many of these advancements, such as computers, cell phones and the internet, change our world for the better in several ways, like helping us stay in touch with one another no matter how far apart we are and making it simpler to share knowledge and news worldwide. However, technology, whether born of good intentions or not, is equally capable of causing us problems we never saw coming, such as texting and driving, computer viruses and online predators.
COULD SELF-DRIVING CARS HELP LOWER ACCIDENT RATES?
With the above in mind, Reuters recently reported on a McKinsey & Company study that projects self-driving cars could drastically decrease the number of auto accidents that take place in the US. According to the report, if self-driving cars were to become widespread amongst US car owners, it could lead to a 90 percent decrease in car accidents when compared to current figures.
The study also indicates that in addition to saving lives and preventing injuries, the reduction in auto wrecks could lead to $200 billion a year in savings, due to there being fewer car accident survivors in need of medical treatment or families of fatal crash victims dealing with funeral expenses. In addition, estimates show that the extra time freed up from not having to drive would enable vehicle occupants to spend more time surfing the web and shopping, which could generate $5.6 billion a year in online revenue for every minute that occupants spend on the internet.
HOW BAD ARE CAR ACCIDENTS IN NASHVILLE AND THE NATION?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every day in the US, 1,153 people are injured and nine people are killed in distracted driving accidents. Nashville, in Davidson County, reported 63 fatalities from car accidents in 2014, the second-highest in the state of Tennessee.
By allowing the car to do the driving, distracted drivers would no longer be an issue, because the vehicle would concentrate on the road and its occupants would be free to give in to their distractions, whether it’s talking, texting, eating or even sleeping, without consequence. However, until the day our streets are occupied solely by self-driving cars, drivers, passengers and pedestrians are still in danger of being involved in a car accident.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
Source: https://reuters.com/article/2015/03/05/us-usa-autos-autonomous-idUSKBN0M10UF20150305