MIT students are being enlisted by the federal government to help solve the problem of distracted driving, according to the Boston Herald.
As we reported last week on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, state and federal authorities have become increasingly vocal about the dangers of distracted driving. Of particular concern is the use of cell phones by drivers and drivers who text message while behind the wheel. Significant numbers of Massachusetts car accidents are being blamed on distracted driving. Nationwide, 6,000 traffic fatalities a year are caused by distracted driving.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was scheduled to appear on the Cambridge campus Monday, to challenge students to develop technology aimed at reducing distracted driving accidents.
LaHood was accompanied by Massachusetts resident Jerry Cibley, whose son was killed in a distracted driving accident. His speech kicks off MIT’s transportation and energy lecture series.
Jordan Cibley was killed on Mother’s Day 2007, one day after his high school prom, while driving two blocks from home and talking an a cell phone with his father. Authorities believe he drove into a tree at 30 mph after dropping the phone and unfastening his seat belt to retrieve it from the floor, according to the Taunton Gazette. He died as a result of a traumatic brain injury.
If you have been injured in a Boston car accident, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.