Vijay's Blog
Hands-free is not Distraction-free
August 1, 2019 is the date when the new Hands-free Law goes live. That is great news. But I would personally like to add an informal footnote alert. Let us not assume that just because one uses a hands-free/Bluetooth enabled phone, one does not have to worry about distracted driving. Let us be clear. Hands-free…
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Speak Up About Distracted Driving: Why asking your friends to put down their phones is the best way to fight distracted driving
We are working on changing the culture around distracted driving. Even though distracted driving is killing thousands in the U.S. every year, drivers continue to do it. And you’ve likely been in the car with someone who was distracted. Did you ask them to put the phone down? To save the sandwich for home? Or…
Read MoreHands-free bill is a Lifesaver
March column in the Eden Prairie News: By Vijay B. Dixit, Chairman Shreya R. Dixit Memorial Foundation According to preliminary estimate from the Office of Traffic Safety, the current count of traffic fatalities stands at 65 for 2019. At the same time last year, the corresponding number was 53 which was worse than the previous…
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Is it a Plea or Call to Action?
This is a Call to Action on two fronts. In the eleven-year long quest for a distraction-free driving world, we at Shreya R. Dixit Memorial Foundation have noted some progress. Despite broad range support from all quarters, we continue to encounter new challenges. They are moving targets that are increasingly becoming difficult to track and manage. I am referring to new technologies installed in cars as well as in mobile devices that drivers and passengers carry as extensions to their bodies.
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Mikey Did NOT Do It Alone!!
Adults are as much or more to blame for poor driving practices like distracted driving. The famous sayings: like father like son or a fruit does not fall far from the tree are good examples. We adults are role models for our young ones. What we see in them is actually our own reflection.
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Tragedy to Advocacy: A Journey
Written by: VIJAY B. DIXIT, CHAIRMAN, SHREYA R. DIXIT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION November 1, for most of it is a mere date in a calendar. But it gives shudders to my family and my friends, a day that they cannot forget. November 1, 2007 was an earthquake that shook everything around us. It was the day…
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An Inexcusable Fumble at the One Yard Line!!
We are almost halfway down 2018. The year brought Minneapolis the honor of hosting Super Bowl at the sparkling US Bank Stadium. Vikings almost made it to the Super Bowl but, for Philadelphia robbing Minneapolis of the distinction of hosting and, getting a chance to win the Super Bowl. No doubt, it was very disappointing. …
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Hands-Free Bill Remains Alive, But No Floor Votes Yet. WHY?
A public safety bill passed the Minnesota House this week that includes a provision outlawing cell phone use in construction zones, and another calling for tougher penalties for “distracted driving.” But, so far, separate bills in both the House and Senate mandating hands-free cell phone use are still awaiting floor votes.
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Dixit: Help the hand-free cellphone bill to become a law
I am not a linguist. But I have closely watched the evolution of a term that has indeed become an obsession for me. This term was a tongue twister only 10 years ago. Today it is ubiquitous with its dreadful presence and has totally erased its tongue-twisting character. The term is “distracted driving” — which…
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The Whole Village Tackles Distracted Driving
VIJAY B. DIXIT, CHAIRMAN SHREYA R. DIXIT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION In the spirit of Super Bowl, I have used a football term in the title. All across our state and in the nation, the epidemic of distracted driving continues to spread with new strains of distractions. Just like the game of football, we must be capable…
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Making Our Roads Safer: Taking Action on Distracted Driving
WHAT: A critical, timely and thought-provoking roundtable discussion about the challenges we face in creating, implementing and enforcing distracted-free driving legislation. Participants include Minnesota state legislators, corporate leader, and safety advocates. Cargill and The Shreya R. Dixit Memorial Foundation collaborated to organize and host this event. WHY: By offering insights on distracted driving behavior and…
Read MoreAn Antibiotic for Distracted Driving
Is distracted driving a bacteria that we need an antibiotic to kill? My answer is YES, and I have supporters.
Read MoreNational Distracted Driving Awareness Month
April is observed in the U.S. as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Read MoreInnovation vs. Tunnel Vision
My focus and life mission is, and always will be to fight the epidemic of distracted driving.
Read MoreIts the Behavior that Kills
I was overcome by extreme grief reading about sentencing of a distracted driver who killed a 79-year-old last October.
Read More‘Driving Pokemon-Go’ is a New ‘Killer’ in the Making
Menu of distractions has gained another item with a new fad called ‘Pokémon-Go’.
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