The founder of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, says new in-car technology introduced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas flies in the face of distracted driving fatality statistics.
Stuart, FL (Vocus/PRWEB) January 26, 2013 –Philip DeBerard, III, an accident attorney in Stuart, Florida, today decried the recent Consumer Electronics Show debut of dozens of in-car apps, Internet services and other distractions made for use in today’s automobiles.
“By adding these so-called technological advances to vehicles, car manufacturers appear to be defying the overwhelming amount of evidence that these gadgets can distract drivers and lead to serious accidents, injuries and deaths,” DeBerard said.
A Fox News report from the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas declared, “This will be the year of the connected car, with all the major automakers pushing Web-based services through their entire lines.”
For instance, GM announced that it would make it easier for outside companies to create smartphone apps that would allow car owners to more readily personalize and upgrade their in-dash systems, Fox said.
Also, the report said that Ford was aggressively pushing more apps to its cars, with nine new programs announced in Las Vegas, while Volvo is expected this spring to introduce a retro-fit, in-dash system to install touch-screen systems in older models for online access, such as Google Maps, the TuneIn radio app and Spotify music service.
DeBerard said traffic safety studies continue to add to the understanding that car drivers already engage in too much distracted driving. He pointed to a recent USA Today report on a State Farm insurance study, shows an increase in motorists using the Web while driving.
According to USA Today, the study found that surfing the Web on a smartphone while behind the wheel increased from 29 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2012 among drivers ages 18 to 29, while drivers in that age group who logged in to social-media sites while behind the wheel increased from 21 percent in 2009 to 36 percent in 2012.
Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 3,331 people were killed in car crashes involving a distracted driver in 2011, marking a 2 percent increase from 3,267 who were killed in distracted driving wrecks in 2010.
DeBerard’s firm pursues personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of car crash victims in South Florida and the Treasure Coast.
“Drivers need to keep in mind that the safety of their passengers, other drivers and even pedestrians and bicyclists is in their hands when they are behind the wheel,” DeBerard said. “This is not the time to be concerned with social media, surfing the Web or playing with another gadget that a car manufacturer might want to sell them.”
About Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney
The law firm of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, has provided professional and compassionate legal assistance to personal injury and accident victims in South Florida on the Treasure Coast since 1975. The firm’s practice areas include car, truck, and motorcycle accidents The firm represents clients throughout the South Florida communities of Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and Vero Beach and across the state of Florida. The firm’s office is located 215 Southwest Federal Hwy., Ste. 300, Stuart, FL 34994 (local phone (772) 286-1000). For more information, call 1-800-299-8878 or use the firm’s online contact form.
