Everyone recognizes texting while driving is a negative concept. It’s dangerous, stupid, and also prohibited. But that doesn’t stop people from doing it. Actually, texting while driving has actually become the leading reason of death for teenagers … as well as grownups. In 2011, virtually a quarter (23 percent) of all car crashes entailed cellphones– 1.3 million crashes.
Right here’s why: Texting takes a vehicle driver’s eyes off the road for at least 5 secs, and also generally much longer. But if you’re driving at 55 mph, you’ll cover the length of a football field in 5 seconds … without checking out the road. All examples can take place: Other cars and trucks stop or transform lanes, individuals step into the road, accidents take place up ahead … and also if a driver isn’t familiar with what’s coming, he or she can enter actual trouble. Texting makes crashing up to 23 times more likely.
So a team of teenagers who call themselves the Inventioneers determined to do something concerning this expanding as well as hazardous problem. They created the SMARTwheel ™, a gadget that fits on a guiding wheel as well as keeps track of a motorist’s hand settings. The name is a phrase for Safe Motorist Alert for Restricting Texting, Tweeting, Keying, Touchscreens, Takeout and Touch-up. (No consuming or repairing your makeup while driving, either!)
How it functions: The SMARTwheel senses if you take one or both hands off the wheel for greater than an extremely quick time, as well as it gives split second sound as well as visual feedback.
It additionally logs unsafe driving and can be set to send a document of somebody’s driving to other individuals, such as parents, companies, teachers, and also also– for individuals with extremely poor driving records– parole officers. The tool has actually been evaluated at MIT and also even at the White House, where it got a green light from Head of state Obama.
This isn’t the very first time the New Hampshire teens have developed something helpful. They’ve also developed a self-powered water filtration system and also a distinct biofuel generator.
