STOP THE TEXTING!

Help “Stop the Texts. Stop The Wrecks.” on the First Nationwide Stop the Texts Day

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that distracted driving is the number one killer of teens in America. In 2010, more than 3,000 people were killed and an additional 416,000 were injured due to distracted driving, which includes texting while driving.

Despite this very risky behavior, a new national survey from the Ad Council found that sixty percent of young adults (age 16 – 24) said they have texted while driving. A majority of them said they will continue to do so even with the knowledge that texting while driving can seriously injure or kill others and/or themselves!

Most notably, the survey asked young adults what would be the most effective way(s) to encourage them not to text while driving.

·         Eighty-eight percent said a law against this would encourage them to completely stop or be less likely to text while driving.

·         The vast majority, ninety-six percent said large fines, a suspended license and/or jail time, higher insurance rates, and other financial / legal consequences would also encourage them not to text while driving.

·         The survey also revealed that friends and parents would be the most influential people in getting them to choose not to text and drive.

To help address this epidemic, the Ad Council, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection Agencies are hosting the first nationwide Stop The Texts Day today to spread awareness about the risks of distracted driving. The goal of this day is to extend the message of their “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” youth texting and driving prevention public service advertising campaign via social media channels (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) in an effort to educate young drivers about the risks of texting while driving.

To participate, supporters are invited to share status updates from the campaign’s Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the day on why texting while driving is such a risky behavior. Additionally, supporters can write an open letter to young adults imploring them to not text while driving on the campaign Tumblr page. A complete toolkit for Stop the Texts Day is also available to provide additional ways the public can participate.

Your participation can go a long way!