People are often quick to blame their GPS for an accident. And there are those who claim that these systems are responsible for around 200,000 annual accidents. They blame things like incorrect directions, inaccurate maps, distracted driving and much more.
But is it fair to say that the GPS caused the accident? If someone hits your car and then blames their GPS unit, would that mean that the accident isn’t their fault?
The driver is still responsible
The thing to remember is that the GPS is just a tool. It is supposed to help you navigate or help you drive, but it’s not doing it for you. The decisions that the driver makes are still the ones he or she is responsible for.
For example, perhaps a road has been updated to include a stoplight. An outdated map may not include this intersection, or perhaps the cross street doesn’t exist on the map at all. The GPS device will tell someone to just continue going forward without stopping.
But if the driver did so, they would be driving directly through very clear traffic control devices. At that point, it no longer matters what their GPS is telling them to do. They still have a responsibility to pay attention to the road around them and react properly to those controls. In other words, the GPS may have influenced the driver to make the mistake, but the authorities will still view that as the driver themselves causing the crash.
Have you been injured in a crash that another driver caused? You may be able to see compensation for medical bills and other costs.
