{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122202"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122202","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The legal and technical landscape of distracted driving","abstract":"In the year 2016, distracted driving contributed to 9% of fatal crashes, killing 3,450 people in the United States. While non-technological distractions are a significant concern, this thesis focuses on technological activities that have a unique technology-based risk of distraction as well as present a unique possibility for solutions both through technological safe-guards and legal interventions. The activities of focus in this thesis include talking or texting on a mobile phone (both hand-held and hands-free), using a GPS device (in-vehicle and nomadic), and performing like tasks - including emailing and watching videos on fixed in-vehicle devices. The thesis explores the problem of distracted driving through an expensive literature review of the risks involved. This technical understanding lays a foundation for examining the legal response to technological distractions in the vehicle (both from in-vehicle technology and nomadic devices). The thesis explores the legislative landscape in non-U.S. jurisdictions (for example, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada, France), the legislative landscape in U.S. jurisdictions, and state-imposed product liability and failure to warn in the U.S. It also puts forward the existing and possible educational and technological interventions which can complement legal interventions to effectively promote a change in driver behavior and ultimately safer roads. We conclude that the legal system nationally and internationally is not yet up to the challenge that the emerging technology portends.","abstract_html":"In the year 2016, distracted driving contributed to 9% of fatal crashes, killing 3,450 people in the United States. While non-technological distractions are a significant concern, this thesis focuses on technological activities that have a unique technology-based risk of distraction as well as present a unique possibility for solutions both through technological safe-guards and legal interventions. The activities of focus in this thesis include talking or texting on a mobile phone (both hand-held and hands-free), using a GPS device (in-vehicle and nomadic), and performing like tasks - including emailing and watching videos on fixed in-vehicle devices. The thesis explores the problem of distracted driving through an expensive literature review of the risks involved. This technical understanding lays a foundation for examining the legal response to technological distractions in the vehicle (both from in-vehicle technology and nomadic devices). The thesis explores the legislative landscape in non-U.S. jurisdictions (for example, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada, France), the legislative landscape in U.S. jurisdictions, and state-imposed product liability and failure to warn in the U.S. It also puts forward the existing and possible educational and technological interventions which can complement legal interventions to effectively promote a change in driver behavior and ultimately safer roads. We conclude that the legal system nationally and internationally is not yet up to the challenge that the emerging technology portends.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mongkolsinh, Natharat."],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Nicholas A. Ashford."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018","date_published":"2018","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:20Z","subjects":["Institute for Data, Systems, and Society.","Technology and Policy Program."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122202","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Nicholas A. Ashford."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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While non-technological distractions are a significant concern, this thesis focuses on technological activities that have a unique technology-based risk of distraction as well as present a unique possibility for solutions both through technological safe-guards and legal interventions. The activities of focus in this thesis include talking or texting on a mobile phone (both hand-held and hands-free), using a GPS device (in-vehicle and nomadic), and performing like tasks - including emailing and watching videos on fixed in-vehicle devices. The thesis explores the problem of distracted driving through an expensive literature review of the risks involved. This technical understanding lays a foundation for examining the legal response to technological distractions in the vehicle (both from in-vehicle technology and nomadic devices). The thesis explores the legislative landscape in non-U.S. jurisdictions (for example, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada, France), the legislative landscape in U.S. jurisdictions, and state-imposed product liability and failure to warn in the U.S. It also puts forward the existing and possible educational and technological interventions which can complement legal interventions to effectively promote a change in driver behavior and ultimately safer roads. We conclude that the legal system nationally and internationally is not yet up to the challenge that the emerging technology portends."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M. in Technology and Policy"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The legal and technical landscape of distracted driving"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Nicholas A. Ashford."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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While non-technological distractions are a significant concern, this thesis focuses on technological activities that have a unique technology-based risk of distraction as well as present a unique possibility for solutions both through technological safe-guards and legal interventions. The activities of focus in this thesis include talking or texting on a mobile phone (both hand-held and hands-free), using a GPS device (in-vehicle and nomadic), and performing like tasks - including emailing and watching videos on fixed in-vehicle devices. The thesis explores the problem of distracted driving through an expensive literature review of the risks involved. This technical understanding lays a foundation for examining the legal response to technological distractions in the vehicle (both from in-vehicle technology and nomadic devices). 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