Programs & Labs
Driver distraction and cell phone research featured in news media
Research linking cell phone use to driver distraction is attracting media attention.
Research on driver distraction, carried out by HumanFIRST Program director Nic Ward and researcher Mick Rakauskas, has been attracting attention from the news media:
- A recent news segment on Fox 9 News, airing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, features the HumanFIRST Program's research project to determine the distraction risk associated with the use of cellular phones while driving. [view video; MPEG-2 format, 110 MB]
- Mick Rakauskas was interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio's "All Things Considered" program, where he explained the researchers' current work. [listen to audio; MP3 audio format]
- The Saint Paul Pioneer Press also covered the research in an article. ("When Is A Sober Driver as Scary as a Drunk?", April 27, 2005 – subscription required).
The research by Ward and Rakauskas was covered in the Spring 2005 issue of the ITS Institute Sensor newsletter [article]. More information on the project is also available on the project home page.