In a place where traveling 400 mph is not unheard a paltry 55 mph might be nothing to write home about unless the driver is writing in Brail.
Last week Dan Parker, became the second blind man to publicly operate a vehicle independently and the first blind man to race at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Parker, an experienced automobile builder and racer who lost his sight in a racing accident last year, completed a two-mile run on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats on a motorcycle he constructed himself, reaching an officially recorded top speed of 55.331 mph. Parker independently operated the three-wheeled motorcycle with the help of a GPS system that gave him audible cues in order to help him maintain a straight course. Parker made his run as part of the 2013 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials.
The National Federation of the Blind is one of several sponsors contributing funds and equipment to help Parker complete his “Quest for the Salt,” and Parker wore leathers with the logos of the National Federation of the Blind and its Blind Driver Challenge. Additionally, the Federation’s Mark Riccobono, the first blind person to drive a vehicle without the assistance of a sighted person, witnessed Dan’s run, which was also documented on the NFB’s Twitter feed.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are pleased to congratulate Dan on his successful run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Through his own effort, determination, and skill, Dan once again demonstrated to the public that, given the right tools, a blind person can safely and independently operate a motor vehicle, and he did so at an impressive speed. The National Federation of the Blind is immensely proud to have participated in this historic achievement.”
