AT&T and ChallengePost are prepared to offer $50,000 for techies to provide solutions to accidents involving pedestrians and automobiles on congested New York streets.
In the wake of last week’s passing by the New York City Council of a broad-based package of 11 traffic-safety laws aimed to eliminate accidents and fatalities on the city’s streets, technology companies are getting in on the act, too.
AT&T has just launched “Connected Intersections,” a drive to encourage new innovations to be developed as smart phone apps that have two functions not normally associated with mobile devices. These are to increase mobile users’ contact with their surroundings and reduce distractions.
The contest lasts three weeks and is designed for hardware engineers, software developers, user interface and design experts. Submissions will be accepted up to Sept. 9 on the website ChallengePost, which specializes in technologically based competitions.
Mobile devices are allegedly responsible for accidents, so another form of technology could be the solution, too.
AT&T has developed a DriveMode program that sends a canned response text automatically when a user is traveling at more than 25 mph. The University of Manitoba uses Kinect to create CrashAlert, which is a tablet that alerts walkers of any obstacles that come within six feet.
This is just a start. One would have to wonder, of course, whether being alerted by an electronic device that a careering car is about to crash into you six feet away would be sufficient warning!
Prizes for the contest include a $15,000 prize for a solution for pedestrians and cyclists, and a $10,000 prize for drivers’ solutions.
Many accidents on NYC roads are due to speeding and are the most dangerous sorts of accidents, as injuries sustained in these accidents can be quite horrific. If it’s not speeding, then distracted driving while using mobile devices has been linked to an increase in traffic accidents in New York City in recent years.
There are two similarities between distracted driving and pedestrian accidents, and these are to do with reaction times. Once a driver takes his or her eyes off the road for a split second then, if a hazard appears ahead, reaction time is markedly reduced. Similarly, with a pedestrian accident, the unexpected nature of it means that the victim often has limited time to react and get out of the way of the moving obstacle.
It seems that up to now, no deterrent has been good enough to prevent the rise in New York City’s accident rate, so the possibility of a new electronic device may help to solve the misery and suffering that takes place when a pedestrian is run over by a motor vehicle or an auto is rear ended by a distracted driver.
Fortunately in New York, the victim of a traffic accident is not left completely in the lurch. Anyone who is injured through no fault of his or her own may be entitled to file a lawsuit against the person who caused the accident. The aim of this is to claim a compensation payment to recover the cost of medical expenses, loss of income while recovering and an amount to compensate for pain and suffering.
In order to file a just claim, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney like Richard S. Jaffe Esq., who has for many years succeeded in getting just compensation for victims of traffic accidents. You can contact him for a free consultation at the Law Offices of Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP 2001 Marcus Avenue, Suite W295, Lake Success, NY 11042. Phone: 516-358-6900 or toll free: 800-483-6149.
