Man Drives Down Park Stairs after Blindly Following GPS

In another case of distracted driving, a man drove his car down the steps of a New York park after blindly following a GPS device.

There is a photograph of the incident which happened at Riverside Park floating online, which was snapped by a person at the park at the time of the incident.

Various reports state that the driver followed his electronic guide into the park partially down the stairs of 88th Street. The back wheels of the vehicle managed to remain on the sidewalk while the front wheels hung over the first few steps.

Some reports suggest that the car, with Rhode Island plates, may have been a front-wheel drive vehicle and had to be towed from the area.

There are various safety devices designed to improve automobile safety and efficiency. Completely relying solely on a GPS device is not safe. It simply does not replace a driver.

Distracted driving is a serious issue that cannot be taken lightly. Accident stemming from drivers who are not paying attention to the road could be eliminated but are not. Nationwide approximately 3,331 were killed in 2011 in distracted driving related accidents.

Those using a hand-held device while operating a vehicle face dangerous hazards. The drivers place themselves, their passengers and those sharing the road in unnecessary danger. Statistically, they are at least four times as likely to get into wreck that can cause serious injuries or kill someone than when not using the devices.

Inexperienced drivers under 20-year-old have the highest proportion of distracted-related fatal crashes, per various studies. It has been found that engaging in activities such as texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver. Most understand that driving under the influence is dangerous because those who are drunk do not have the mental acuity or motor skills to operate a vehicle properly or react to obstacles on the road.

Next time you are going someplace new, review the directions prior to embarking on your trip. Turn off your phone and other distractions while driving and keep it that way until you've reached your destination and are no longer operating a vehicle. If you feel that you need to use a GPS device, set it up in way so that the directions are read out loud, that way you won't have to keep looking away from the road at every street.