As WBZ-TV’s I-Team exclusively reported last month, Massachusetts State Police are using new technology to send alerts directly to drivers’ car dashboards and phones about nearby emergency vehicles. The agency announced Tuesday that notifications from the “Safety Cloud” system have now reached 900,000 drivers after 12 weeks of operation.
The program, paid for with a $135,000 federal grant, is installed in 233 State Police cruisers that patrol the state. The goal is to cut down on crashes involving first responders.
Police say their conventional lights and sirens don’t always get the attention of drivers because cars are becoming more sound-proof and people are increasingly distracted by their phones…