A Blind Man Drove A Car At Daytona International Speedway

Who says that if a person is blind he cannot enjoy life anymore? Driving a car is for some people one of the most enjoyable moments. Mark Riccobono is one of them. Although he is legally blind, with the help of tactile technology, Mark became the first blind man in the world who drove around the track at the famous Daytona International Speedway.

The National Federation for the Blind issued a very interesting challenge that I for one didn’t thought that it could be possible, to come up with a method to allow a blind man drive. They got a reply from Virginia Tech who were able to create a system that includes the use of some sophisticated gloves that offer tactile feedback for the driver to read his surroundings.

Behind the wheel of a custom-equipped Ford Escape Hybrid, Riccobono drove around the Daytona Speedway for several rounds, making history.

Despite the fact that this technology is not fully developed at the moment yet, the National Federation of the Blind is hoping that one day this very promising technology would become efficient enough so that it will be able to change public perceptions (I highly doubt that). In addition, there are slim chances that the lawmakers will allow this technology to be used in real-life conditions, but let’s hope that the technology will advance so much that laws will change and blind people will be able to safely drive a car.

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