Minnesota HealthSolutions Corporation — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase II: NCIPC

Description

Project Summary Abstract The goal of the project is to prevent young drivers from using their mobile phonese gtextingwhile drivingAn improved technological intervention and a new distribution model for that intervention are proposedInmore thanpeople died in crashes that were reported to involve a distracted driver and aboutpeople were injuredAmong those killed or injured in these crashesnearlydeaths andinjuries included cellphone use as the major distractionThe CDC reports in anational survey thatof U Sdrivers agesreported texting or e mailing while driving at least once in the lastdaysand more than a quarter report texting or e mailingregularlyorfairly oftenwhile drivingThe proportion of drivers reportedly distracted at the time of a fatal crash has increased frompercent intopercent inMany states are enacting laws to curb texting and cellphone use while drivinghowever the continued prevalence of this activity even where it is illegal illustrates the need for a technological solutionTechnological solutionsin the form of hardware or software that block textinginterlocksexistbut are not widely utilizedHardware technologies require vehicle modificationswhich limits their appealAlmost all software technologies rely on GPS to provide vehicle velocity information as an interlock criterionTexting is disabled when the phone is moving at more thanMPH for exampleUnfortunatelythis sensing modality cannot distinguish whether or not the smartphone is being used by a driver or passenger and therefore disables texting for all passengers in any vehicle under travel including public busesschool busestrainspassengers in a caretcWe propose a novel software solution that distinguishes drivers from non drivers and a new technology distribution strategy that will more effectively engage parents