State Farm® and MIT AgeLab Collaborate to Study What's Driving Distraction Behind the Wheel

Dr. Pnina Gershon, Director of the MIT AWARE initiative and co-director of the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium

“Distracted driving is not simply about whether a driver knows what is safe or unsafe. It reflects a much more complex interaction between the driver's state, the demands of the driving environment, and the technologies that compete for or support their attention”

Dr. Pnina Gershon, Director of the MIT AWARE initiative and co-director of the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium

“With this research, we are looking beyond individual moments of distraction to understand what drivers need to be prepared, attentive, and appropriately engaged during the driving task. That allows us to think differently about safety and about how technology, information, and interventions can support drivers before, during, and after the drive.”

Jeff Legner, Technology executive at State Farm

“Technology is changing the driving experience, creating new opportunities to better understand and support drivers. The more we learn about how people interact with technology behind the wheel, the better positioned we are to anticipate evolving risks, improve driver experiences and explore new approaches to accident prevention. This research can help turn those insights into meaningful ways to support drivers before, during and after every drive.”