The infotainment technology that more automakers are investigating and putting inside cars today, is causing drivers to take their eyes off the road for far too long, according to a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study. Past studies have identified issues, however, the explosion of technology in recent years has presented more significant problems for distracted driving incidents.

Automakers now have many options for drivers to send emails, read and send texts and use social media. That technology, as it has advanced, has also become more complicated to use. Very few knobs and buttons used to be present in many vehicles. However, cars today can have as many as 50 buttons on the steering wheel, and many of these are multi-functional. Some of the potential distractions for drivers include voice commands, touch screens, 3D computer-generated images, mirrors, heads-up display on windshields and even writing pads.

Adding more layers of complexity might seem like a snazzy feature to increase potential car sales, but this could come at a cost in terms of distracted driving accidents. The auto industry argues that these newer systems are better alternatives for drivers than the navigational devices in mobile phones that were not designed to be used while driving. However, the potential for pulling the driver’s focus away from the road, even for a couple of seconds could cause distracted driving accidents. In a recent analysis, 23 of the 30 vehicles analyzed found that the rate of attention demanded on behalf of the driver to operate them was high or very high. None of these required a low amount of attention to use, increasing the chances of a distracted driving accident. If you’ve already been involved in a distracted driving accident and believe you have grounds to pursue a negligence claim against the responsible individual, contacting a personal injury lawyer San Diego trusts with the situation is important.