With safe, everyday use of autonomous vehicles still at least a few years away, a recent poll shows U.S. drivers are already figuring out how they’ll pass the time on autonomous drives.
Harris Poll recently gauged the thoughts of 3,000 U.S. drivers to determine what they most dream about getting to do with the free time their self-driving vehicles will give them. “Dream” being the operative word there. Commissioned by Erie Insurance, the study shows that dreaming is exactly what 51 percent of drivers want to do as they catch up on much-needed sleep. Or at the very least, not worry about the consequences of drowsy or inattentive driving, especially on long drives.
Probably not surprising, more screen time topped the list for many drivers with 34 percent hoping to text more, 27 percent looking forward to reading, and 11 percent wanting to play video games. Two percent of drivers polled even anticipate being able to work out while their vehicles deliver them safely to their destinations.
Despite years of significant reductions in traffic fatalities, the number increased to 38,300 in 2015- the most recent year for which exact figures are known. An additional 4.4 million people were injured in accidents even though automobiles have never had so many safety features and crash deterrents.
An improved economy could be the reason for the increases, according to experts. Lower gas prices and more people driving to work, combined with increased distracted driving equals more opportunities for collisions. When questioned about the risks associated with distracted driving, 59 percent of poll respondents said they think autonomous vehicles can make the roads safer by eliminating this dangerous behavior.
Further Reading: Interesting Car Color Facts You Might Find Surprising
In a small way, perhaps cars currently on the market can begin to make a positive impact. Vehicles such as the Volvo S90, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Tesla Model S have available safety features that allow them to steer themselves and maintain lane discipline on the highway, making the idea of self-driving cars seem like more of a reality.
While technology has come a long way toward eliminating the human error factor, experts warn against drivers becoming lackadaisical and not paying attention to what’s going on around them.
The most recent Uber accident in Arizona is a perfect case in point. One of the company’s self-driving cars was flipped onto its side when an on-coming vehicle that should have yielded, refused to give way.
The accident highlights the amount of work needed to be done to help resolve the issues that crop up when autonomous vehicles interact with the ones driven by humans. The incident also brought to light the issue of transparency and liability- just who is at fault when a self-driving vehicle is in an accident.
John M. Simpson, Privacy Director for Consumer Watchdog, the U.S. not-for-profit public interest group, is concerned. He supports full transparency and responsibility for autonomous vehicle manufacturers and developers when self-driving technology fails.
To prepare for the eventual influx of autonomous cars in the future, many states have already begun to enact legislation. In 2017, 32 states introduced legislation and in 2016 20 states introduced legislation. In 12 states, legislation related to autonomous cars actually passed – however Colorado was not one of them. In Arizona and Massachusetts, governors issued executive orders related to autonomous vehicles. In the near future, it is likely that more states will follow suit.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Broomfield, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, or anywhere in Colorado, it is important to contact our experienced car accident attorneys as soon as possible. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed personal injury lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
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to talk to. They made my experience very comfortable through my whole journey.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the whole staff at Hull & Zimmerman. Thank
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would
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3:19 pm
April 22nd, 2017