Are Technological Devices Responsible for Causing Accidents?
At this time there are few statistics concerning accidents caused by distracted emergency services drivers. However, some studies have indicated that distracted drivers contribute to anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of motor vehicle accidents in the general population. While there might not be any specific information concerning police or paramedics, there have been a number of incidents reported that could be representative of a larger problem. Two incidents in particular illustrate the danger or using devices while driving. In 2007, a police officer in Illinois struck another vehicle when he was attempting to enter an address in his navigational device. The crash resulted in serious injuries, but likely could have been far worse if the officer had been traveling at a high rate of speed responding to an emergency. In another incident, an emergency medical technician was looking at his GPS device and then swerved and hit a flat-bed truck. The accident resulted in the paralyzation of the
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