Gone are the days when motorists had to rely on paper maps to help them navigate areas with which they were unfamiliar. These days, many if not most drivers have smartphones. Thus, they can use GPS apps to help them navigate.
Theoretically, this is beneficial. Along with helping drivers find their way in areas they don’t tend to drive in, it can be argued that GPS apps may help reduce the rate of accidents. If a driver is less stressed because they are not lost, they may be more likely to focus on the road.
However, there is an argument to be made that GPS apps also have the potential to yield an increase in accidents. The following points will help you better understand how GPS apps can result in accidents occurring more often. They will also help you better understand how you can use these apps appropriately so that they help you instead of hurt you.
How GPS Apps May Cause Accidents
It’s important to understand that this overview is not a condemnation of GPS apps in general. Again, when used properly, these apps can provide many benefits to drivers and those with whom they share the road.
That said, it is important to understand that these apps can also result in driver distraction. For example, perhaps a GPS app is providing directions that involve a large number of steps in a short period of time. It’s one thing for a driver to only occasionally focus on their GPS app when it tells them to take an exit off the highway or make the occasional turn. However, if they are constantly focusing on the directions the app is providing, they may be less inclined to pay attention to their surroundings.
There are also instances when drivers decide to program their GPS apps while they are still driving. Never make this mistake. Whenever you need to program your GPS app, make sure you are parked. If you suddenly need to make changes to the app’s programming in the middle of a trip, find a place to park first.
Some drivers also forget that a GPS app will reroute them if they miss a step. Accidents have occurred because drivers have reacted suddenly to a GPS app’s directions, not considering whether doing so would involve such risky behaviors as crossing into a lane when another driver was nearby.
Although rare, there have even been examples of drivers trusting a GPS app’s directions so blindly that they ended up driving onto train tracks, driving the wrong way, etc.
Again, none of this is meant to universally discourage drivers from using GPS apps to help them reach their destinations when they are unfamiliar with the areas in which they are driving. It is simply meant to remind motorists that it will always be important to pay attention to one’s surroundings when behind the wheel. A GPS app can be a helpful tool, but it is not a substitute for common sense.
Contact a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney Today
Even if you use GPS apps responsibly, you can’t control whether motorists with whom you share the road are doing so. Have you been injured in a car accident resulting from someone else’s negligence? If so, contact a Los Angeles car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg to discuss your legal options. Call us at 310-997-0904 or contact us online today and schedule your free consultation.
Prev
