New campaign against texting while driving targets teens

[Maria]

In an effort to get drivers to put down their cells, smartphones and other distracting devices when they get behind the wheel, the National Ad Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have teamed up with the State Attorneys General to launch three new public service announcements in a new campaign called "Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks," says DOT.

In a study released last year, 84 percent of teen drivers were aware that distracted-driving behaviors increase their crash risk. They know, for example that texting while driving pulls one’s eyes from the road for an average of five seconds per message; they know that, at 55 miles per hour, that's like driving the length of an entire football field —completely blind.

Distracted drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash, but teen drivers are already 4 times more likely than adult drivers to be involved in a crash. Combining teen drivers with electronic distractions is, quite simply, a recipe for tragedy.

However, knowing these facts, four in five young drivers still admit to having texted while driving.

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[terrylamar]

So why not develop an App that disables texting when moving above 10 mph or say below 200 mph so it can be used in the air or out at the Salt Flats?

 

[Mike]

Everybody speaks out against this, yet it seems most are doing it.

Con-Way driver was typing on his iPad as I passed him a couple days ago.

I sent a text to him telling him to stop

 

[Mr. Q]

LOL!!!

 

[Mr. Q]

This is how dumb people are. Instead of trying to text and operate a vehicle at the same time, the latter which requires one's full attention, then why is it so damn hard for people to just pick up the phone and call someone instead of trying to text? Sitting higher off of the ground in a truck, I oftentimes catch many people texting while driving their cars. Not trying to sound chauvinist or anything, but the offenders are mostly young female motorists. What message is so important that warrants a text instead of a quick phone call?

 

[Mike]

I feel this is a losing battle. Smartphones are outselling laptops right now and the number of people with their heads stuck in their phones while driving is rapidly growing.

 

[tsiconquest88]

cell phone talking and texting are both so bad. Some people are bad enough when they try messing with their radio's for music lol.

 

[TNFiremedic]

They need to target 20-30 somethings and nail them down. I see more of them doing it in traffic then I do teens.

 

[Mike]

That's because they are the age demographic that had these things introduced to them in their youth.

 

[Mike]

Teens are having the dangers of this taught to them while learning to drive