Most Drivers Confused by New Car Technology

new-car-technology New car technology has come a long way; today’s new vehicles have many bells and whistles which are designed to improve safety and offer greater convenience. Once only available in high-end vehicles, safety and convenience technology is now available on more vehicles, regardless of their price point.

Unfortunately, a great deal of newer safety technology has not been standardized, causing confusion for drivers. The features on your vehicle may be vastly different from another, which makes it more difficult for you to effectively utilize these features when driving a different vehicle. Misunderstanding how to use new car technology, in any vehicle, can lead to a higher change you’ll be involved in a car accident.

A study conducted by the University of Iowa reports that most drivers are uncertain about how various safety technologies are supposed to work. Approximately 40 percent of drivers say their vehicles have displayed confusing and unexpected behaviors, such as adaptive cruise control, which is a safety feature that automatically adjusts a vehicle’s speed to maintain consistent following distances.

Improving Education for New Car Technology

Drivers are not given any training regarding the features their vehicles offer. They are left with only an owner’s manual, which they must decipher themselves in order to learn how to use their vehicle’s features. This can create great confusion, leading a vehicle owner to simply turn off an important safety feature, which in turn defeats its purpose.

The National Safety Council (NSC) has now recognized that drivers can become uncomfortable if they do not know how to utilize a feature, or how the feature works. Therefore, the NSC, in conjunction with the University of Iowa and the Department of Transportation, has initiated an educational campaign which focuses on helping drivers understand how to use important safety technology.

By visiting MyCarDoesWhat.org, drivers can find information and watch videos describing the benefits of various safety features, as well as how to properly use them.

Has confusing new car technology caused you to become injured?

Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Schmidt Kramer at (717) 888-8888 or by filling out our FREE Case Evaluation Form

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New Car Technology Is Confusing for Most Drivers

Improving Education for New Car Technology