The Hidden Dangers of Infotainment Systems and Distracted Driving
When you buy a newer car or truck, it can feel like you are stepping into the future. The screens are big, the lighting is soft, the technology feels impressive, and you may be told it is all there to keep you safer and more connected. But as someone who has spent decades helping injured people and grieving families in Texas, I have seen a very different side of this technology. I am Brad Parker, the attorney you want but hope you never need.
At Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers, we believe people matter, safety matters, and your life is worth more than any shiny feature on a dashboard. A moment of distraction does not make you a bad person, especially when your vehicle is designed in a way that constantly pulls your eyes and mind off the road. The hard truth is that the most dangerous device in your car is not always the phone in your hand. Very often, it is the infotainment system that the manufacturer built into the vehicle and sold as an upgrade.
How Infotainment Systems Disrupt Safe Driving
When we talk about infotainment systems distraction, we are really talking about how these in-car screens and controls interfere with three basic parts of safe driving. Your eyes must stay on the road, your hands must stay on the wheel, and your mind must stay focused on driving. Infotainment systems are powerful because they can disrupt all three at the same time. If you glance down to follow a map, tap through menus to find a song, or read a notification that pops up on the screen, your eyes are off the roadway.
In older vehicles, you could change a radio station or adjust the air conditioning by feel without really looking. On a smooth glass touchscreen, there is nothing for your fingers to feel. You have to look down to make sure you are hitting the right spot. That extra second or two of looking away is often where crashes happen.
Manual and Cognitive Distraction
Your hands are affected too. When you scroll, pinch, swipe, or dig through multiple menus, one hand usually leaves the steering wheel. The system might lag or misread your touch, so you try again, and that distraction stretches into several seconds. In that moment, your physical control of the vehicle is reduced. Even if you think you are good at multitasking, your brain can be overloaded by the constant beeps, alerts, and voice prompts coming from in-car technology. This mental distraction is often called cognitive load.
You might be staring straight ahead, but if your mind is busy arguing with the voice command system or trying to understand what the screen is telling you, you can miss obvious dangers like a brake light in front of you or a person stepping into a crosswalk. That is how what causes distracted driving infotainment crashes is often not one big mistake, but several small ones that stack up in just a few seconds.
Research Shows the Risk Is Real
There is growing research on the impact of infotainment systems on driver attention, and the findings are sobering. Some studies have shown that complex voice-activated systems can be more distracting than talking on a handheld phone. That sounds surprising at first, but it makes sense when you consider how hard drivers sometimes have to work to get the system to understand them.
The more time and effort you spend giving commands or correcting mistakes, the less attention you have left for driving. Most people understand that texting while driving is dangerous, and that message is absolutely true. What many drivers do not realize is that using the car’s built-in screen to read messages, check social media, or enter an address can be just as risky. Because the system is built into the vehicle, drivers often assume it must be safe. That assumption can lead to very serious crashes.
How Infotainment Distraction Changes Driving Behavior
The effects of this type of distraction show up clearly in how people drive. When drivers are caught up in infotainment systems distraction, they often drift within their lane, miss exits, brake too late, or fail to notice vehicles slowing down ahead of them. Some research has compared this level of distraction to driving with a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit because reaction times are so severely impaired.
One national study found that programming navigation or performing other complex tasks on in-car systems could pull a driver’s eyes and mind away from the road for more than 40 seconds. To put that into perspective, even a two-second glance away doubles the risk of a crash. At highway speeds, looking down for five seconds can mean traveling the length of a football field without truly seeing what is in front of you.
Different Risks for Different Age Groups
Different age groups interact with these systems differently, and that creates unique safety concerns. Younger drivers, including teenagers, tend to be more comfortable with screens and menus, but they are still learning how to drive. Their brains are already working hard to manage speed, distance, mirrors, and traffic. Adding a demanding touchscreen on top of that leaves very little margin for error. The statistics on teen distracted driving accidents are alarming, and when a new driver is paired with a vehicle that feels like a video game, the risk increases even more. For parents and grandparents, it is important to have clear conversations with young drivers and set firm rules about technology use while driving.
On the other end of the spectrum, older drivers face different challenges. Many studies show that drivers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s often spend longer periods looking away from the road while trying to complete the same task on an infotainment system. Experience behind the wheel can be an advantage, but the design of some in-car technology does not account for changes in vision, reaction time, or comfort with digital interfaces. As systems become more layered and complex, they can become more stressful and distracting for older drivers.
Laws and Enforcement Lag Behind Technology
The legal system and safety regulations are still catching up with these technological changes. In Texas and many other states, there are specific laws addressing handheld phone use and texting while driving. Laws that address built-in screens and infotainment controls tend to be broader and harder to enforce. A police officer can usually tell if a driver had a phone in their hand, but it is much more difficult to prove that someone was navigating menus or adjusting playlists when a crash occurred. General distracted driving laws and rules about failing to control speed or lane position still apply, but enforcement remains challenging.
Design Choices and Manufacturer Responsibility
From a public safety perspective, awareness campaigns have long focused on phones, texting, and impaired driving. Those efforts have saved lives, but the conversation now needs to expand to include infotainment safety in vehicles. Not all systems are designed the same way. Some vehicles hide basic functions behind multiple screens and layers, while others rely on simpler displays and more intuitive controls. When we investigate serious crashes that may involve infotainment-related distraction, we closely examine the specific make and model of the vehicle. We look at whether the system design increased the driver’s workload and whether safer design alternatives were available.
Practical Steps Drivers Can Take
Even with design concerns, drivers still have choices that affect their safety. One of the simplest ways to reduce risk is to prepare before driving. Set navigation, choose music, adjust mirrors, and control climate settings before shifting out of park. Many vehicles and phones offer “Do Not Disturb” features that limit alerts and notifications while driving. Activating those settings can eliminate unnecessary distractions and help you stay focused on traffic.
Hands-Free Does Not Mean Risk-Free
Some drivers believe that voice commands or Bluetooth technology eliminate the danger. Keeping your hands on the wheel is better than typing, and there are real differences between hands-free and handheld use. However, hands-free does not mean risk-free. Your brain still divides its attention between driving and interacting with the system. When voice commands fail or require repeated corrections, drivers can become more focused on the technology than the road. If an issue cannot wait, such as a major navigation error or an unfamiliar warning light, the safest option is to pull over and address it in a safe location.
Legal and Insurance Consequences After a Crash
When a crash occurs and infotainment systems distraction may be involved, legal and insurance issues can become complex very quickly. In a Texas car wreck case, a central question is whether a driver acted unreasonably under the circumstances. Looking at a screen instead of the road can be considered negligence. In some cases, however, the issue goes beyond individual behavior. If an infotainment system’s design creates unreasonable distraction and workload, there may be grounds to explore a product liability claim against the manufacturer. These cases are highly fact-specific and often involve technical evidence, industry standards, and system design analysis.
Insurance companies are increasingly focused on distracted driving. If distraction is cited as a contributing factor in a crash, insurance premiums may rise sharply. Insurers may also argue that a driver’s distraction reduces the value of a claim, even when fault is shared. Many modern vehicles store electronic data showing speed, braking, and sometimes system activity in the moments before a crash. That information can play a critical role when there is disagreement about what happened.
What to Do After a Suspected Infotainment-Related Crash
If you are involved in a crash and believe the other driver was distracted by their vehicle’s screen, focus on safety first. Seek medical attention if anyone is injured and contact law enforcement so an official report is created. If the other driver mentions adjusting the radio or fixing navigation, share that information with the officer. Avoid arguments at the scene and do not speculate about fault. Be truthful, but avoid making unnecessary statements until you understand the legal implications. In serious cases, acting quickly to preserve electronic data from the vehicles involved can be crucial.
How Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers Can Help
At Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers, we help people throughout Bedford, Fort Worth, and nearby communities after serious collisions, including crashes involving infotainment systems. As a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer in Texas, I have seen how quickly families can be overwhelmed by medical bills, lost income, insurance calls, and uncertainty about the future. Our role is to investigate what happened, identify all responsible parties, and fight for you so you can focus on recovery. We cannot promise results, and no ethical lawyer should. What we can promise is honesty, commitment, and hard work in pursuit of justice under Texas law.
Taking the Next Step
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash and in-car technology may have played a role, you do not have to handle it alone. Deadlines in Texas injury cases can be short and depend on the facts of your situation, so speaking with a Texas injury lawyer sooner rather than later is often wise.
Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers offers free strategy sessions, and there is no fee unless we win. We will listen carefully, answer your questions clearly, and help you decide the next right step for you and your family. This information is for general purposes only and does not create an attorney–client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed Texas attorney.
