HARTFORD, Conn. (May15, 2018) — Connecticut Public Television’s new documentary 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel follows the lives of eight drivers over six months using in-car cameras and tracking technology to expose the often-hidden behavior of distracted drivers. Why three seconds? That is the amount of time it takes to send a text message, choose a song, or engage in other activities that can impact safe driving behavior. That is also how long it takes to drive across a football field.
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel premieres Thursday, June 21 at 8 p.m. on Connecticut Public Television and will rebroadcast Tuesday, July 17 at 10 p.m. and Saturday, September 15 at 7 p.m.
Producers gathered weekly data from subjects in Florida and Connecticut to get a honest picture of the many activities drawing drivers’ attention off the task of driving. Experts from MIT, Cambridge Mobile Telematics, Safety Track, and the University of Connecticut provided monitoring equipment, data storage, and expert analysis.
The film also gives audiences a firsthand look at emerging technologies that could one day offer solutions to rising crash statistics. The documentary follows researchers at Google who are using driving simulators to develop next-generation in-car infotainment systems, and explores how one Swedish company is experimenting with technology that could one day allow cars to understand human feelings and make driving decisions based on individual needs.
“While many of these drivers’ habits will shock you, this is a very honest and intimate look at human nature,” said Jennifer Boyd, producer, director, and writer of 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel. “And it provides a little insight into some truths about all of us.”
The public is invited to a free screening of 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel on Thursday, June 7 at 6 p.m. at the Travelers Claim University in Windsor. The evening will begin with a reception from 6-6:45 p.m. followed by short remarks and the screening. To register, click here or visit cptv.org/3seconds.
Funding for 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel is made possible by Presenting Sponsor Travelers with additional support from General Motors and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
More information about 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel can be found at cptv.org/3seconds.
About the Producer:
Jennifer Boyd has produced and directed more than 25 documentaries and 40 concerts for public television, including the EMMY Award-winning Teens: Behind the Wheel. Results from that eye-opening documentary were featured on Good Morning America, Dateline, ABC World News Tonight and MSNBC, as well as numerous local news outlets. Her company, Boyd Productions, creates documentary, entertainment and corporate media content worldwide. Much of the company’s recent work with NASA, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, Caltech and others has focused on how big data is changing the world.
About Connecticut Public Television:
Connecticut Public Television is an affiliate of PBS and a media service of Connecticut Public. A locally and nationally recognized producer and presenter of quality public television programming, Connecticut Public offers original documentaries, public affairs, and educational programming. Connecticut Public Television also includes an affiliate channel: CPTV Spirit, created for the “doers,” “makers,” and “adventurers” who crave more action, edgier journalism and documentaries, and more active ways to feed their curiosity. For more information, visit cptv.org.