As repetitive as it is to hear parents, guardians or law enforcers reinforcing the fact that it’s dangerous to text and drive, it’s a very important matter.
Unfortunately, the matter is not taken as seriously as it should be by a lot of drivers which explains these powerful advertisements we see all over media outlets.
With more than 3,000 people killed annually by distracted drivers, according to the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched the first national campaign against distracted driving.
It is essential for drivers to understand the dangers in using mobile devices at the same time as being behind the wheel. The NHTSA’s video proves that texting and driving can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving.
While these drivers are not only putting themselves and their passengers at risk, they are putting everyone else on the road at risk too.
The $8.5 million campaign includes television, radio and digital advertisements with the theme “U drive. U text. U pay.”
The television advertisement runs for 30 seconds and is designed to shock and scare drivers into changing their behaviors.
The audience gets a visual of possible consequences when texting or talking, rather than putting all their attention into driving.
The video is graphic and disturbing to watch as it shows a realistic situation to the audience.
As the three friends are equally involved in a conversation, it causes distraction for the driver.
The driver proceeds to answer a text message as she drives through a stop sign.
The vehicle is hit from the side by on-coming traffic, causing the car to flip off the road.
The audience is left, not knowing whether the friends survived, but knowing if the driver were paying attention to the road, she most likely wouldn’t have gone through a stop sign and could have been hit.
It’s a sad sight to see three young people be in such a tragic car accident, potentially losing their lives, because the driver felt the need to respond to a text instead of waiting.
According to NHTSA, studies done in California, Texas, Delaware and New York, combined with law enforcers, have caused hand-held phone use to stop by 30 percent.
We can only hope these campaign advertisements help increase drivers knowledge of the dangers that follow distracted driving.
Jordan Crowley can be contacted at jcrowley@keene-equinox.com