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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b><br>
<h1><b>Dan Parker, a Blind Man,<br>
Breaks Driving Speed Record</b></h1><br>
<br>
<b>Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (April 5, 2022): </b>Dan Parker, a
blind racecar driver, achieved the <b>GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS®</b> title
for the “Fastest Speed for a Car Driven Blindfolded” on Thursday, March
31. Parker set a new speed record of 211.043 miles per hour on the runway
at Spaceport America in his custom-built Corvette, which included an
innovative audio guidance system designed to his specifications. The
previous record was held by Mike Newman of the United Kingdom, who
achieved a speed of 200.51 miles per hour in 2014. Parker went blind as
the result of a racing accident that took place ten years before, on
March 31, 2012, and graduated from the Louisiana Center for the Blind
seven years ago on March 31 as well. The record attempt was made as part
of the acceleration of the National Federation of the Blind’s Blind
Driver Challenge™ an initiative that aims to call attention to the
importance of breaking barriers in mobility and to demonstrate the
incredible achievements of blind people. It was sponsored by San
Francisco-based zero emission self-driving company Cruise and certified
by Guinness World Records official Michael Empric.<br>
<br>
The effort built on the inaugural Blind Driver Challenge event that took
place on January 29, 2011, when Mark Riccobono, now President of the
National Federation of the Blind, independently operated a modified Ford
Escape hybrid on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Mr.
Riccobono navigated the course’s turns and steered the car around dynamic
obstacles by following haptic prompts generated by input from the
vehicle’s GPS, cameras, and LIDAR sensors.<br>
<br>
“Our Daytona Blind Driver Challenge demonstration changed the perceptions
of blindness held by society, including the perceptions that we ourselves
held as blind people,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. “It further demonstrated to the world that the
expertise of the blind is critical to the development of nonvisual
vehicle interfaces. NFB member Dan Parker has now raised the expectations
of blind people even higher by independently driving a vehicle faster
than any blind person has done before, proving that the combination of
accessible technology and our own capacity allows blind people to safely
operate motor vehicles even at high speed. This demonstration reinforces
our determination to work with Cruise and other partners to make cars
that can be operated independently by blind people on America’s roadways
a reality. Transportation is a critical barrier faced by blind people
across the nation and we seek the increased availability of all
transportation options in order to successfully live the lives we
want.”<br>
<br>
“With the help of my Federation family, my outstanding pit crew, and our
partners at Cruise, I am proud to bring the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title
for fastest speed for a car driven blindfolded to America,” said Dan
Parker. “We have not only demonstrated that a blind person can operate a
vehicle safely, but that we can do it at over two hundred miles per hour.
We hope this success inspires blind people and shows the world the
potential of modern technology like self-driving cars to help the blind
break barriers in everyday mobility and beyond.”<br>
<br>
<b>###</b><br>
<h2><b>About the National Federation of the Blind</b></h2><br>
<br>
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore,
defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information
and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are
losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative
membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans with affiliates,
chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto
Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work
together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many
programs and initiatives at
<a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=25438&qid=7032391">
nfb.org</a>.<br>
<h2><b>Contact:</b></h2><br>
<br>
Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=25439&qid=7032391">
cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br>
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Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410-659-9314
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