• 82 percent of young adult drivers ages 16 to 24 have read a standard text message while driving, according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council (2011).
• An online survey of 1,999 teens ages 16 to 19 found that 86 percent had driven while distracted even though 84 percent know it’s dangerous (2010).
• 23 is the average number of texts per month that teens who text and drive admit to sending (2010).
Distracted Driving
NHTSA reports that distracted driving is the No. 1 killer of American teens (2007). 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving (2009). The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reports that a texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a nontexting driver (2009).
“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.
A New Campaign
To address this issue, the State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection agencies, NHTSA and the Ad Council unveiled new PSAs created pro bono by New York advertising agency The Concept Farm. They are designed to communicate the dangers of texting and driving to teens and young adults. By taking their eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, they are making the roads less safe for themselves, their passengers and other drivers.
All the PSAs direct audiences to StopTextsStopWrecks.org, a new campaign website where teens and young adults can find facts about the dangers of texting while driving and tips on how to curb the behavior. The website also has an area where individuals can post and share on Facebook the actions they are taking to stop texting and driving.
To learn more, visit www.StopTextsStopWrecks.org.
