Couldn't technology be put to better use than making our roadways less safe?

Like cell phone usage and texting while driving, the introduction of Wi-Fi in vehicles promises to add to the laundry list of driver distractions, likely adding to the number of traffic accidents caused by inattention to the road, while multitasking.

Celling and texting while driving, has become one of the leading causes of traffic accidents in the United States, causing concern from many state legislatures. In Florida, the call for change has not been heard yet, as bills introduced to ban cell phone usage while driving have been heard by a deaf ear, and turned down by the Florida Legislature.

It has been shown that celling while driving is the equivalent to driving under the influence and makes you 4x's more likely to cause a crash....hands-free vs hand-held; it makes no difference, as it is a brain thing, not a hand-eye coordination problem that creates the risk.  

Now, we will be able to surf the internet from our laptops while driving!  As a long time accident attorney, I must say, this is not the type of technology our roadways and vehicles need. Rather than use innovation to create a safer environment in cars, car manufacturers are now developing a further distraction, adding to the growing number of focus diverters and dangers technology has to offer drivers.

Introducing the internet to drivers not only provides information from inside the vehicle (vs outside, on the road, where drivers eyes and minds should be), it encourages drivers to surf the internet, an activity which takes both hands and almost complete attention by the driver. In addition, I can visualize a driver  balancing the laptop with one knee, while driving with the other knee, while using their hands to help balance the PC and to search for a signal, and to type, while just glancing at the road now and then... and what happens when the laptop becomes unbalanced and falls, and they lean over to grab it...?

Now, drivers can not only talk on the phone and text, but they can also check the latest blog and respond, write on their friend's wall on Facebook, and check who was voted off of American Idol the previous night, all before getting to the office or home.

Just as we need to get MADD about cell phone usage while driving, we also need to discourage adding to the list of driver distractions, that keep eyes and focus off the road and hands off the wheel.

Adding Wi-Fi to cars? ... Just not a good use of technology!

For more information:
We Don't Have To Wait For it to be law to turn off the call phone while driving.

"Driving Distractions 101"