Safety features cannot prevent car accidents when disabled

Most Michigan residents interact with some form of technology every day. Whether they are using their smartphones to get online or turning on a television to relax in the evening, technology is almost everywhere. These days, it is common for newer and supposedly better technology to be featured in vehicles, but can that technology help reduce car accidents?

According to reports, most people who have advanced technology systems in their vehicles are not confident that those features will help prevent accidents. In fact, numerous drivers are unsure what certain features do or even how to use them. It is also common for drivers to turn off certain features entirely because they consider the features annoying. Those features that drivers common disable include automated emergency braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and pedestrian detection.

Though many vehicle manufacturers are discussing the creation of fully autonomous vehicles, it does not appear that the public is fully onboard with using such vehicles. After all, if they are already disabling the advanced technology features available in current vehicles, how likely are they to feel confident using a fully autonomous vehicle? Recent surveys have already indicated that nearly half of Americans would never use a taxi or ride-share vehicle that was completely autonomous.

Though safety features in vehicles are certainly a good idea, they can do little to prevent car accidents if they are turned off or if they do not work properly. Even if fully autonomous vehicles are coming in the near future, crashes will likely still occur. As for now, if Michigan travelers find themselves involved in a collision caused by another driver that leads to serious injuries, they may want to consider their legal options for seeking compensation.