Center for Health Communication

Tag: Distracted Driving

‘Law enforcement by itself cannot solve the problem, it’s going to require cultural change and that’s why we want to engage the Hollywood community, again.’ — Jay Winsten on “Under the Radar” panel

Massachusetts’ new distracted driving bill takes effect on Sunday, Feb. 23. Drivers will no longer be able to use any hand-held devices while behind the wheel, except for minor exceptions to use navigation tools on their phones. This comes after years of lobbying from advocacy groups and supporters. The new law is a legislative milestone, but the real work to eliminate distracted driving begins now, by getting drivers to change their behavior. That’s the centerpiece of a national public safety campaign headed by Harvard … Continue reading

To elicit the behavior-change behind the wheel that is needed to meaningfully combat distracted driving, an ‘evolution of social norms is important, and I think young people can help lead the way on that.’

While the problem of distracted driving is one that’s immune to easy fixes, there are a host of ideas for how to reduce this deadly behaviour and minimize the harm it causes, everything from more punitive enforcement to rethinking how we build cars and roadways. Dr. Jay Winsten, whose public-health project at Harvard University aims to combat distracted driving, believes it will take a combination of both technological intervention and a generational shift in behaviour to get it under control … Continue reading