• 03
  • November
    2011

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Ad Council and various states' attorneys general have announced a new campaign to fight teenage texting while driving. This campaign, called "Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks," will target the biggest culprits of texting while driving: 16-24 year old drivers.

The campaign is an attempt to mimic similar past campaigns that successfully targeted big tobacco and drunk driving. Advertising campaigns can be very useful tools, especially when the laws aren't strong enough to stop people from texting while driving. For example, in California, texting while driving is against the law; however, violators of the law need only pay twenty dollars for a first offense and fifty dollars for each subsequent offense.

Frequent warnings that distracted driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving also haven't convinced the public to stop texting while driving. In fact, it appears many people know that texting and driving causes car accidents, but continue to do it anyway.

In a study by SADD and Liberty Mutual, more than 50 percent of high schools students admitted to texting while driving. And many of them learned it from their parents: a study from State Farm found that the majority of parents talk on their cell phones or send text messages while teaching their children how to drive.

There needs to be a change to the culture that says texting behind the wheel is okay. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been a strong, national voice in the fight against distracted driving. Along with the ad campaign, he is pleading parents to set a good example and keep our kids safe by putting down our cell phones while driving.

Source: USA Today, "New Campaign Targets Texting While Driving," Larry Copeland, Oct. 28, 2011.