Technology – Is It Good Or Bad For Teens In The Car

Seth Smiley here with today’s edition of the Parents of Teen Drivers Facebook Group. Our topic today is “Technology – Is It Good Or Bad For Teens In The Car.”

We need to consider if the wave of new technology that we are experiencing, not just on our devices, but also in our vehicles, is useful or potentially harmful. As a personal injury lawyer, I sometimes see the negative sides of technology for teen drivers. Still, overall I think technology is a good thing. Having your kids driving in the more up-to-date cars is a good thing.

The car manufacturers are continually coming out with new technologies to prevent auto accidents, avoid distracted driving, etc. The aim is to keep not only teen drivers safe but all drivers. The teen driver statistics are not yet clear. Still, I believe useful technological advances are out there, that stop cars from hitting somebody or keep you from swerving off the road. The lane assists that tell you if you put your blinker on that somebody is next to you, are extremely good.

At the same time, we shouldn’t be a hundred percent reliant on technology. It makes us lazy drivers, and we no longer drive defensively. We should always caution teenagers that yes, technology is great and is there to help, but you cannot rely on it to keep you safe behind the wheel. I have had clients who had severe accidents and assumed technology would kick in to save them. They ask, “Well, why can’t you sue Ford?”

You could potentially do that, but there are always many disclaimers and requirements included with any new technology. An example of this is the new self-driving cars that require you to put your hands on the wheel every few minutes to ensure that you are paying attention to the road. We want to make sure that technology is our friend, but coach our teens not to be too reliant on it. It is good to teach them to drive in a car that doesn’t have all of the latest technology, then get them a vehicle to drive in everyday life that does have everything. That way, they will get to know the best of both worlds.

If anybody has any information on today’s subject of “Technology – Is It Good Or Bad For Teens In The Car” that they would like to share with the group, please comment below.