Small change could help reduce distracted driving accidents

Over the past decade, safety experts, as well as state and federal lawmakers and regulators, have expressed concern about the prevalence of car accidents caused by distracted driving. Experts have suggested a number of different solutions - bans on cell phone use while driving, for example, or the development of technology that prevents drivers from using electronics while behind the wheel - but many are skeptical that these efforts will have any effect. The underlying problem, after all, is behavior: people are increasingly tied to their phones and other devices and are simply unwilling to put them down, even in dangerous situations.

Recently, some experts have begun suggesting another approach. Rather than trying to force drivers to stop the behaviors that are distracting them, perhaps the best approach is to accept that these behaviors occur and come up with ways to mitigate the risks they pose.

With this approach in mind, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology teamed up with Monotype, a company that specializes in designing typefaces. Two years ago, the joint MIT-Monotype team began exploring whether the use of different typefaces in electronic devices used in automobiles could help prevent car accidents. They discovered that the typeface did, in fact, make a difference in improving safety for male drivers.

Over the past two years, designers at Monotype have been developing a new typeface, called Burlingame, intended for use in cars displays and on any devices that people would use in their vehicles. The idea is that the proportions of the new typeface are such that they are easier to read and understand at a glance. The company is already in talks with several auto manufacturers about the feasibility of using the typeface for displays.

Although it may seem unlikely, as the MIT study demonstrated, changing the typeface of a display in a vehicle can impact safety. This is important because it is clear that the design of automobile displays has changed forever: information once displayed on simple dials is now shown on large touch screen displays. Many of these new systems also allow users to check their email, connect to the internet and update social media accounts. The reality is that distraction is here to stay.

It is important to remember that if you are injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, you have rights. Speak to a personal injury attorney to learn more about your options