Can Speech-to-text Devices Save You From Crashing?

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When voice-activated functionality came out on on mobile phones like Apple’s “Siri” and Google Voice, people thought that this could actually be the end of one motorist’s driving woes. Imagine, just say what you need and what you want the phone to do and it’ll figure things out all by itself. You just need an Internet connection and a good understandable speaking and you’re all good to go. However, it seems like this new tech doesn’t work as promised.

Even more distractive

The main reason why voice to text apps was made is to eliminate distraction. Especially when driving, these apps promise to be great tools to minimize, if not completely avoid distracted driving. However, tests made by researchers from the University of Utah say that these cause even more distractions while driving. About 12 male and 20 female drivers aged 18 to 33 were equipped with sensors were given a battery of tests in vehicle simulators and real cars. These studies prove that sending text messages using a speech to text app were more distractive than just listening to the car’s radio or talking to passengers.

Consumer Electronic groups challenge the studies

An industry group, the Consumer Electronic Association has disputed the findings of the University of Utah research. According to the group, the researchers of the university have made “a number of methodology flaws” that resulted in the findings that they have. The group questions the results of the research of the popular university.

The dangers of distracted driving

In another report made a year ago, the National Safety Council said that the use of mobile phones have something to do with 24 percent of all vehicle crashes in the US. A Los Angeles attorney finds this strange since most states now have laws banning the use of mobile phones while driving a motor vehicle. Every year, thousands of Americans die because of accidents caused by distracted driving. The government, even consumer electronic groups are trying hard to do everything to come up with a solution to end distracted driving. This will prevent injuries and deaths that is caused by accidents and there would be no need for a Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer to make claims for these loss of lives.

New NHTSA Survey Reveals Widespread Use of Cell Phones, Electronic Devices While Driving

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The month of April is the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As such, every traffic safety agency and advocate, especially the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is urging motorists to focus more on their driving and become fully aware of the dangers of driving while being distracted with the use of phones and other electronic devices.

In fact, the NHTSA, as a way to further showcase the dangers of distracted driving and at the same time educate the people about how they can avoid it, kicked off the month-long awareness drive by releasing new survey results showing that majority of the Americans still use electronic devices while driving amidst the continuous warnings from the federal traffic agency.

The 2011 National Occupation Protection Use Survey revealed that all over America, around 660,000 drivers either tinker on their cell phones or fidget on electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment. The said figure was relatively the same as the previous year. Notably, other NHTSA data revealed that about 387,000 people were injured in distracted driving-related crashes in 2011 and more than 3,300 were killed.

The survey data, which was first revealed via a press statement from the NHTSA released today, was a collation of obtained statistics from the 2012 Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors Survey and the 2011 National Occupation Protection Use Survey on Driver Electronic Use. In other highlights from the survey data, the 2012 National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors revealed that 74 percent of respondent-drivers support hand-held cell phone use ban, while 94 percent of them likewise support the texting ban.

Department of Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood described distracted driving as “a serious and deadly epidemic on America’s roadways.” He went on to say that “powering down your cell phone when you’re behind the wheel can save lives – maybe even your own.”

Right now, a total of 39 U.S. states, including the District of Columbia, disallow texting while driving for all drivers. Moreover, 10 states plus the District of Columbia ban using handheld cell phones and other devices while behind the wheel.

In line with this month’s events, the Department of Transportation reminds drivers to turn off electronic devices and putting them out of reach before taking on the road, as well as to use safety seat belts all the time. Meanwhile, every Los Angeles auto accident attorney supports this awareness campaign on the federal level, hoping that the accidents caused by distracted driving will lessen, if not fully eradicated.

Educating Yourself on the Perils of Distracted Driving

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Not all drivers are able to maintain their focus and attention to the road, no matter how long or short the distance of the trip is. More often than not, their one hand is on the steering wheel while the other is clutching on their cell phones, speaking with a friend or office colleague or texting a loved one.

Looking up ahead on the road and then on the phone screen and back again is just a piece of cake for those who are used to it. However, doing so puts them in danger of getting seriously injured or killed. Such is distracted driving.

To begin with, distracted driving is any activity that disrupts the attention of the driver to his or her primary task, which is, of course, driving. In other words, taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds, or even removing your hands off the steering wheel, could spell disaster not only for you, but also for your passenger/s, pedestrians, and other motorists that share the road with you.

Distractions that drivers do while behind the wheel include using mobile phones to text or call, grooming, reading, tinkering with the car stereo, and talking to passengers, among many others. Moreover, distracted driving is one of the key factors as to why accidents occur on America’s roadways.

In fact, deaths related to distracted driving increased by 1.9 percent in 2011, in which 3,331 such deaths were recorded. Injuries, however, decreased by 7 percent that same year, in which an estimated 387,000 such injuries were recorded. Said data shows how deadly getting distracted while driving can be.

Fortunately, states and other localities have made strides to end distracted driving on their roadways. In fact, many of them have passed and implemented stringent laws that prohibit texting, talking on the cell phone, and other non-driving activities while driving.

Aside from that, distracted driving-related information through websites allow people to become educated and be informed about the perils of driving distractions, which would enable them to make decisions on what they should and should not do behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Los Angeles personal Injury Lawyers and other legal experts believe that learning from distracted driving and its perilous effects to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists can help promote better and safe driving on the road.

Damages You Can Recover in Distracted Driving-related Car Accident

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Sending text-based messages on your cell phone can be very helpful and fun at the same time; but if it is done at the wrong place and at the wrong time, disaster could strike.

 Accordingly, Los Angeles drivers should practice discipline when driving, and refraining from texting is one way to do that. Drivers who use their cell phones while driving are certainly closer to accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the year 2009 alone, more than 5,400 people were killed and at least 448,000 were injured due to distracted driving-related accidents.

 Although there are various forms of distracted driving, texting while driving is becoming the most common and dangerous act. Hence, it is a must for all Los Angeles drivers not to use their cell phone while driving to avoid major and fatal accidents.

 Accordingly, Los Angeles motorists or pedestrians who got injured in an accident caused by a distracted texting driver should file a personal injury case. Under the tort law, accident victims may be eligible for certain compensations if they were injured as a result of another person’s negligence or irresponsibility. Commonly, personal injury accident victims are entitled to these payments:

·         Payments for hospital and medication expenses
·         Payments for damaged property
·         Payments for loss of income
·         Payments for loss of future income
·         Payments for pain and suffering
·         Payments for emotional distress
·         Payments for mental anguish
·         Payments for loss of consortium

As it is, accident victims who believe that they deserve any of the said compensations should hire a Los Angeles car accident attorney to have their case pursued and represented. Hiring an attorney for a distracted driving- and negligent driving-related case in Los Angeles is advisable because a legal expert’s help is essential in establishing the case for the claimant to win just compensations.

Top 3 Gadgets that Can Distract Drivers

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Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of fatal accidents in the United States. Statistics say that in 2010, more than 3,000 people were killed and some 416,000 were injured in road accidents that involved distracted drivers.

Distracted driving may be cause by a variety of reasons, and these include:

•    Using electronic gadget
•    Eating and/or drinking
•    Smoking
•    Grooming
•    Talking to vehicle occupants
•    Reading/using navigation system or map
•    Watching on-board video
•    Adjusting on-board sound system

Incidentally, using electronic handheld device is the leading cause of distracted driving in the country. The availability of such devices is so convenient these days that almost any person can have one. According to statistics, teenage drivers are the common victims and/or culprits of electronic gadget-related distracted driving.

Additionally, there are particular electronic gadgets that can easily distract a driver, and these are:

Cell phones/smart phones – Drivers who text or communicate using their mobile phones are considered at-risk motorists. When a driver divides his or her attention into driving and using his or her cell phone, it is highly unlikely that he or she can effectively focus on driving, which can result in a deadly car accident.

Navigation system – This device is designed to help drivers to conveniently reach their destination; however, it can also make everything complicated for motorists. Drivers who are busy using the vehicle’s navigation system can miss the traffic situation, which can cause them to make driving errors.

Tablet PCs – Tablets are becoming more and more popular these days, but drivers who own these gadgets should refrain from using them while driving because they could end up in an accident.

In the State of California, under the state’s vehicle code, drivers are not allowed to operate their vehicle while using any electronic handheld device. Drivers who will violate the said code may be ticketed or fined by authorities.

Los Angeles accident attorneys always remind California drivers not to be distracted while driving to ensure their own and other people’s safety on road.

Additional info at:

http://www.distraction.gov/download/campaign-materials/8747-811629-060712-v5-Opt1-Web-tag.pdf

The Serious Consequences of Distracted Driving

Inattention to the road when driving, although seems like a basic driver error, can actually result in tragic vehicular accident. In fact, government data show that thousands of people die each year due to car accidents caused by inattentiveness of certain motorists.

In the United States, statistics reveal that in 2009 alone, at least 5,474 Americans were killed, while some 448,000 were injured due to distracted driving.

Studies show that there is a wide variety of factors that may distract a driver from driving cautiously, and these include:

•    Eating or drinking
•    Reading maps
•    Communicating to passengers
•    Using of cell phones or other electronic handheld devices
•    Daydreaming
•    Dealing with strong emotions
•    Changing the dial of on-board car stereo
•    Watching video

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving may be categorized into these three types:

1. Visual distraction – This involves inattention of the driver to the road or traffic situation.
2. Manual distraction – This pertains to failure of drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
3. Cognitive distraction – This kind of distraction is associated with drivers who take their mind off from driving per se.

Distracted driving, regardless of its form, can result in serious or even fatal road accidents. The following are miscellaneous facts about the dangers of distracted driving as determined by NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS):

•    In 2009, at least 20 percent of car accident-related injuries were associated with distracted driving
•    People under the age of 20 are most prone to committing distracted driving
•    Drivers who use cell phones while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a road crash

In the State of California, people who get injured due to distracted driving may be eligible to claim for personal injury damages. The State’s tort law requires negligent drivers who have caused injury or harm to another person to provide compensatory payments. A car accident victim may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages, to wit.

Economic damages:

•    Payments for hospitalization and medication expenses
•    Payments for income lost (if the accident caused incapability of the victim to go to work)
•    Payments for property repair and/or replacement

Non-economic damages:

•    Pain and suffering damages
•    Emotional distress damages
•    Loss of consortium damages

Victims of distracted drivers can increase their chances of winning personal injury damages by getting the services of an expert lawyer. In California, victims may consult with an experienced Santa Monica Attorney to appropriately and timely claim for damages.