Texting While Driving PSA

[laurie31]

Here is another completely non-graphic vid, showing the results of texting as compared to DUI. Texting caused even worse response times!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbiHwGBsRr0&feature=related


I will definitely be showing this one to my DD13. All she can talk about is that she can drive in just 2 years. Yesterday while on the way home from band practice, I thought of something I needed to tell DH and asked DD to help me remember to tell him when we got home. She says, nonchalantly, "Why don't you just text him?" I respond, "Helloooooo! I am DRIVING! And so is HE! (he was on his way home from work)" She said, "But you can text with one hand and keep the other on the wheel." Holy carp!! (misspelling of pseudo-cuss word intentional - lol) She HONESTLY saw nothing wrong with texting and driving. She immediately got the "I work in a trauma center and I see what happens to people who text and drive!" lecture, and the vid the OP posted is unfortunately not some rare unlikely event. I'm honestly considering showing her that too, even though she's only 13. Did anyone notice those people in the vid were properly restrained? I am a HUGE proponent of seat belts, they can make the difference between life and death, but some wrecks are so bad that it doesn't matter what you're wearing; you are going to die.


And Claudia, that is a terrible story. Prayers for those people affected.

 

[Feralpeg]

It happens so much more than people are aware. It really only hits home when it happens to someone near you.

While I was teaching high school, a 17 year old boy from my school was using his cell phone while driving. His truck drifted and hit a car that had stopped to make a left hand turn. He was driving a large pickup. The other car was a small compact. He was speeding. It is a 45 mph zone and he was doing close to 60. The impact killed the 55 year old woman in the other car. Two lives destroyed over a conversation that could have waited.

What really got to me over the whole thing is that it did not change the idea of using a cell phone while driving for most of the other students at the school. They thought it was sad, but didn't think it should affect them. When I asked some of them why they couldn't wait to talk to their friends until after they were done driving, they looked at me like I had two heads. This new need for immediate gratification is going to be the downfall of the world, IMHO.

 

[castleview]

Good PSA. I might be in the minority, but drunk driving movies in health class and afterschool specials worked for me.

In CT, the law now states that new teen drivers cannot drive with other teens for the first few months or year - not sure exactly what the rule is. My sister is having trouble because she follows the rule with her DSD, but most of her friend's parent think it's a dumb rule and don't abide by it. Anyone else?

 

[LoraJ]

It happens so much more than people are aware. It really only hits home when it happens to someone near you.

While I was teaching high school, a 17 year old boy from my school was using his cell phone while driving. His truck drifted and hit a car that had stopped to make a left hand turn. He was driving a large pickup. The other car was a small compact. He was speeding. It is a 45 mph zone and he was doing close to 60. The impact killed the 55 year old woman in the other car. Two lives destroyed over a conversation that could have waited.

What really got to me over the whole thing is that it did not change the idea of using a cell phone while driving for most of the other students at the school. They thought it was sad, but didn't think it should affect them. When I asked some of them why they couldn't wait to talk to their friends until after they were done driving, they looked at me like I had two heads. This new need for immediate gratification is going to be the downfall of the world, IMHO.

I totally agree.

It isn't just teens who should watch, everyone should watch. I have issues with adults driving erratically because they are texting or emailing than with teens.

 

[ChrizJen]

This should have been completed showing like a news headline "teen charged with such and such number of deaths sentenced to life in prison" or something - KWIM?

Good PSA.

On that note - I have seen people scrolling through their iPods and not paying attention, either. I think this might be right up there with it.

I agree totally. There were more consequences for that girl than the ones they showed. It should go into more detail to explain what will happen once she has to face charges for what she did.

What an amazingly powerful message. I agree that it should be shown to ALL drivers. New drivers and experienced drivers alike. It's not just "new" drivers who are putting lives in danger by texting while driving. This PSA was VERY well done. It's so realistic that it really does just hit you where it hurts.

 

[Camicar]

I totally agree.

It isn't just teens who should watch, everyone should watch. I have issues with adults driving erratically because they are texting or emailing than with teens.

There has been one accident in our town due to texting. It was a mature adult female texting on her way to work. Luckily, all she did was hit a tree and not the kids waiting at the bus stop or someone walking on the sidewalk next to that tree. Best part: she's the wife of a town cop.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

If examples of what happened to others was an effective measure for changing behavior in teens (or adults-recidivism in prisons is not effected by example) then this would work.

Unfortunately, it doesn't. If learning from example worked, we'd have far less teen pregnancy than we now do.

Teens are omnipotent which makes the age group very difficult to work with. Every single one of us over 21 went through the same developmental phase...

The PSA may reach a few, but it won't stop the texting... the PSA will be no more effective than was the original "Scared Straight" for promoting long term change in behavior.

 

[DizBelle]

I haven't watched it (yet). Is it actual footage or a dramatization?

 

[Colleen27]

I'll be the dissenting voice on this one - I don't think the PSA is going to have any impact on the target audience, no matter how much of a tear-jerker it is for us as adults and (mostly) parents, and I would be very upset to have it running on television where my 8yo is more likely to see it than a typical teen who is busy with other things.

 

[Sandy321]

thats exactly what I was thinking. It's not REAL, therefore it's not something that could really happen to them.

With all the movies and blood and gore in films they are exposed to - there is a definate desensitizing of kids...

It happens so much more than people are aware. It really only hits home when it happens to someone near you.

While I was teaching high school, a 17 year old boy from my school was using his cell phone while driving. His truck drifted and hit a car that had stopped to make a left hand turn. He was driving a large pickup. The other car was a small compact. He was speeding. It is a 45 mph zone and he was doing close to 60. The impact killed the 55 year old woman in the other car. Two lives destroyed over a conversation that could have waited.

What really got to me over the whole thing is that it did not change the idea of using a cell phone while driving for most of the other students at the school. They thought it was sad, but didn't think it should affect them. When I asked some of them why they couldn't wait to talk to their friends until after they were done driving, they looked at me like I had two heads. This new need for immediate gratification is going to be the downfall of the world, IMHO.

You are so right!! I wonder if it will have a bigger impact on the youth - the 8 - 13 year olds? It is just so sad, there has to be answers! Too many adults think they can "multi task" even while driving!!

 

[Handbag Lady]

Very intense.

Unfortunately I expect that most teens will see it as a "production" and not something that really happens.

I totally agree.

What they need to do, and I am VERY serious about this, is to ask Quentin Tarantino to step in and make one. They also need to make the dialogue more realistic.

 

[legalsea]

The problem is, Fools will ignore such well-meaning messages and warnings.

Society has been screaming about the dangers of drinking-then-driving for several decades now, but the death rate has not gone down that much.

Reasonable people know that it is dangerous to drink and drive, text while driving, or talking on a telephone while driving, etc. It is not, however, the reasonable people that are the problem. It is the fools who think that it is dangerous for everyone else to do such activities while driving, but not for them.

People know that when the crossbars at a railroad crossing go down, it means a train is coming and to not snake your car past the crossbars. Yet fools have always and will always think the crossbars do not apply to them.

Finally, children will often grow up doing what they see their parents doing. If a youngster sees his or her parent driving while talking on a telephone, the message is given that driving while doing other activities is acceptable.

 

[Feralpeg]

I haven't watched it (yet). Is it actual footage or a dramatization?

It is a dramatization.

 

[Feralpeg]

The problem is, Fools will ignore such well-meaning messages and warnings.

Society has been screaming about the dangers of drinking-then-driving for several decades now, but the death rate has not gone down that much.

Reasonable people know that it is dangerous to drink and drive, text while driving, or talking on a telephone while driving, etc. It is not, however, the reasonable people that are the problem. It is the fools who think that it is dangerous for everyone else to do such activities while driving, but not for them.

People know that when the crossbars at a railroad crossing go down, it means a train is coming and to not snake your car past the crossbars. Yet fools have always and will always think the crossbars do not apply to them.

Finally, children will often grow up doing what they see their parents doing. If a youngster sees his or her parent driving while talking on a telephone, the message is given that driving while doing other activities is acceptable.

Sadly, you are right.

 

[DizBelle]

I'm afraid it plays too much like a movie to make any real impact.

 

[hildasmuriel]

I would be very upset to have it running on television where my 8yo is more likely to see it than a typical teen who is busy with other things.

This is a media college production. At 4 minutes long this is far longer than any UK advert break, so I doubt it will be shown on TV. If it were, it would never be allowed before the 'watershed' of 9pm, or even (given the gore involved) 10pm.

 

[Colleen27]

This is a media college production. At 4 minutes long this is far longer than any UK advert break, so I doubt it will be shown on TV. If it were, it would never be allowed before the 'watershed' of 9pm, or even (given the gore involved) 10pm.

That makes more sense, then. The news coverage of the ad here in the States talks like it is being shown as a regular commercial, with no mention of a targeted audience. And since you see gorier in television programing here during the day, it didn't even occur to me that there might be content standards that would limit when it could be shown.

 

[C.Ann]

The problem is, Fools will ignore such well-meaning messages and warnings.

Society has been screaming about the dangers of drinking-then-driving for several decades now, but the death rate has not gone down that much.

Reasonable people know that it is dangerous to drink and drive, text while driving, or talking on a telephone while driving, etc. It is not, however, the reasonable people that are the problem. It is the fools who think that it is dangerous for everyone else to do such activities while driving, but not for them.

People know that when the crossbars at a railroad crossing go down, it means a train is coming and to not snake your car past the crossbars. Yet fools have always and will always think the crossbars do not apply to them.

Finally, children will often grow up doing what they see their parents doing. If a youngster sees his or her parent driving while talking on a telephone, the message is given that driving while doing other activities is acceptable.

I couldn't agree more - especially with the part of your post I have bolded.. I have lost so many family members due to the actions of so-called adults that have chosen to drink and drive - and my own adult DD has had her life altered forever by the actions of another so-called adult who was talking on a cell phone while driving..

Adults and teens alike tend to share the same train of thought - "It won't happen to me" - until it does - either as the person responsible or the innocent victim..

There is never a legitimate need to drink and drive - nor is there ever a legitimate need to fiddle with an iPod, talk on a cell phone or text while driving.. If you've been drinking, call a cab.. If you need to fiddle with your iPod, make a call or text someone, pull over to the side of the road and park while you engage in those behaviors.. To handle these situations in any other manner is nothing more than pure selfishness.. It literally screams, "ME, ME, ME - and the heck with anyone else!!" When are people going to get this through their thick heads???

 

[Stitchfans]

Technically this PSA is gearing towards teens but it isn't just them who text while driving. I see adults doing all sorts of things, eating, smoking, drinking, putting on their make up, shaving, talking on their cell phones, listening to radios and changing the station, so on while driving. It scares me to death thinking about my 15 yr old DD getting her license in the future. It scares me to death thinking about my oldest DD or my DH out there with so many irresponsible people behind the wheel of the car. Teen, adult, senior citizens, whoever.

Wish there was a law and a way to pass it that when you are driving that is all you should be concentrating on is your driving.