Distracted driving is a term that West Virginia drivers probably hear a lot about. According to a recent survey, most individuals agree that distracted driving is a problem. However, many people also admit to doing it anyway.

Ten years ago, distracted driving caused about 15 percent of road deaths. Though the situation has improved with that figure decreasing to 10 percent, it’s still a serious problem. Lawmakers and technology manufacturers have worked towards getting people to ignore their devices while driving, and the auto industry has incorporated technology to make cars safer to drive.

While new car technology can make driving safer with features like automatic emergency braking and rear-view cameras, these systems can also be potentially distracting to drivers. GPS systems or infotainment systems that many new car models come equipped with put potential distractions right in front of the driver. More than 90 percent of the participants in the survey, which was conducted by Esurance, said that they think texting, email and web browsing while driving is distracting. Nevertheless, more than half of the respondents confessed that they do these things. Many drivers who claimed that they are ‘rarely” distracted admitted to using GPS systems or talking on the phone while driving.

The results of the survey were mixed when it comes to advanced driver assistance systems, such as features like automatic braking and collision warnings that are supposed to help drivers avoid accidents. While some people believe that features like adaptive cruise control make them better drivers, some individuals admitted to finding them distracting.

When a distracted driver causes a car accident, if he or she doesn’t admit to having been preoccupied, it could take an accident investigation to discover the truth. Some types of evidence that could be sought include witness testimony from passengers in the car or bystanders who might have seen the driver using a device before the crash or texts or online activity with timestamps.