COLUMBUS, Ohio – The death of a local TV personality’s daughter in an accident nearly one year ago has heightened the awareness of central Ohio motorists to the dangers of distracted driving.
Since Maria Tiberi was killed on Sept. 17, 2013, on I-270 on the West Side, her family has established a foundation to promote safe driving habits, especially among younger drivers.
One of the projects the Maria Tiberi Foundation has embarked upon is the distribution of simulators that mimic the effects of texting or engaging in other kinds of activities that take a driver’s attention away from the road.
“We want to do what we can to honor Maria’s memory by creating a generation of safe drivers,” said Dom Tiberi, Maria’s father and sports anchor at WBNS-TV. “We’re using funds from the Maria Tiberi Foundation to buy the tools to help young drivers learn how to drive defensively and without distraction. We don’t want any other families to go through the nightmare we’re living.”
AUDIO: Dom Tiberi talks about Maria’s Message
The foundation recently donated three distracted driver simulators to the Ohio Department of Transportation to use as tools to remind new drivers and others about the dangers of distractions, including texting and cell phone use.
Tiberi also backed the campaign to make September Safe Driving Awareness Month in Ohio, established earlier this year by legislation sponsored by Sen. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus).
Ohio spends more than $100 million annually on safety-related projects and has seen a 30 percent drop in fatalities and a 20 percent drop in serious injuries during the past decade, ODOT Director Jerry Wray said.