by Gene Marrano
In response to a study which shows drivers who write text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to crash than non-texting drivers, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has joined other state attorneys general, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Ad Council today to unveil a new public service announcement campaign, urging young adults to “Stop the texts and stop the wrecks.”
The campaign includes TV, radio, outdoor, and digital PSAs. In an effort to extend the campaign messages virally on the Internet, new Facebook, Twitter, andYouTube social media channels went live this week. All of the PSAs direct audiences to stoptextsstopwrecks.org, a new Web site where teens and young adults can find facts about the impact of texting while driving, as well as tips for how to curb the behavior. The Web site also has an area where individuals can share on Facebook what they are doing to stop texting while driving.
According to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council, 82 percent of young adult drivers aged 16-24 have read a text message while driving. Additionally, NHTSA reports that 16 percent of all drivers younger than age 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reports that a texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver. Distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens.
The Ad Council’s national survey released today also found that 75 percent of young adult drivers have sent a text message while driving; 49 percent have done it multiple times. 50 percent of respondents said that during the past month, they have been a passenger when a friend was texting while driving.
“Raising awareness about the dangers facing kids today, including distracted driving, is an important part of my job, not only as attorney general, but as a father,” said Cuccinelli. “It is natural for kids to think they are invincible, but the reality is, they are not. This new PSA campaign will teach them that there are very real dangers-some fatal-associated with texting and driving.”
“Research has shown that using a cell phone delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.08,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council.
“Distracted driving is dangerous, and tragically, teen drivers are the most at risk of being involved in a fatal distracted driving crash,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We hope our new ad campaign will send a strong message to teens that putting away cell phones and other distractions while you are driving is not just commonsense safe behavior, it can save your life.”
“The PSAs communicate to teens and adults that texting while driving is not multitasking, but essentially driving blind. By taking your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, you are making the road less safe for you, your passengers, and other drivers,” said Cuccinelli.
The online survey, commissioned by the Ad Council, was conducted in partnership with C + R Research. Research was conducted nationwide from September 15, 2011, to September 23, 2011. The sample consisted of 1,004 teens and young adults between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four. All respondents were required to hold a U.S. driver’s license, drive at least once per week, and have a mobile phone.