Massachusetts' First "Hands Free" Driving Law Goes Into Effect
57:54 Share

Massachusetts’ new distracted driving bill takes effect on Sunday, Feb. 23. Drivers will no longer be able to use any hand-held devices while behind the wheel, except for minor exceptions to use navigation tools on their phones. This comes after years of lobbying from advocacy groups and supporters. The new law is a legislative milestone, but the real work to eliminate distracted driving begins now, by getting drivers to change their behavior. That’s the centerpiece of a national public safety campaign headed by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School Center for Health Communication.

Guests:

Jay Winsten) - Associate Dean for Health Communications at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Emily Stein - President of Safe Roads Alliance

Ryan McMahon - Vice President of Insurance and Government Affairs at Cambridge Mobile Telematics

Artist Jacob Lawrence made a name for himself due to a series of paintings called "The Migration Series." He was 23 years old when he created them, and went on to become one of the best-known artists of the 20th century. His signature style featured deep, rich colors, geometric shapes and collage. Lawrence, who was African-American, was deeply invested in telling the inclusive story of America, and shortly after the modern civil rights movement, set out to visualize what he said was, “the struggles of a people to create a nation and their attempt to build a democracy.”

Those 60 paintings were little known and little seen until now. In a first-ever exhibit, Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum has brought together the multi-paneled work for the first time in more than 50 years.

“Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle” is on view until April 26.)

Guest:

Lydia Gordon - Associate curator of exhibitions and research at PEM

You can find UTR on the web at https://www.wgbh.org/news/under-the-radar-with-callie-crossley)

Subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.

"Under the Radar with Callie Crossley" is produced by Franziska Monahan and engineered by Dave Goodman.

Melissa Rosales is our intern.

Our theme music is FISH AND CHIPS by #weare2saxys', Grace Kelly and Leo P.

Under the Radar is a production of WGBH.