By Hans Lewis
TMCnet Contributor
In order to educate teens, novice drivers and parents about the dangers of distracted driving, the National Safety Council (NSC) and CTIA-The Wireless Association partnered together through a campaign titled “On the Road, Off the Phone (News – Alert)”. The organizations released a sixty-second national radio public service announcement (PSA). The announcement is being distributed to 5,000 radio stations across the country and is an extension of the joint initiative that features a television PSA and a website (onroadoffphone.org) with tips for parents on how to talk with their teens about distracted driving.
Janet Froetscher, president & CEO of the National Safety Council said, “Distracted driving can be deadly. Changing motorists’ behaviors behind the wheel is critical to keeping our roads safe. We hope this PSA encourages parents to talk to their teens about the dangers of texting while driving and that parents prohibit their teens from using their cell phones while driving.” Steve Largent (News – Alert), president & CEO of CTIA The Wireless Association said, “For more than twelve years, the wireless industry has been educating consumers about the dangers of distracted driving and teens and novice drivers are important pieces of the solution. We are proud to continue to partner with the National Safety Council to release this radio PSA as we believe it’s vital to the education process.” Last fall, the NSC and CTIA announced their partnership and launched the campaign which affirmed the two organizations’ belief that distracted driving and texting are incompatible with safe driving. Since then, the television PSA has received more than 250 million viewer impressions on nearly 350 television stations across the country. The website also serves as a useful resource for visitors to learn more about the dangers of distracted driving. With more than 285 million wireless connections in the U.S. and more than 1.56 trillion text messages that were sent and received in 2009, the “On the Road, Off the Phone” campaign is vital to educating teens and helping change their behavior when they’re behind the wheel. In a 2010 Pew (News – Alert) Internet & American Life Project survey, they found one in three (34 percent) texting teens ages 16-17 say they have texted while driving. That translates into 26 percent of all American teens ages 16-17 years old. The release of the radio PSA will also be a part of CTIA and the wireless industry’s 10th annual National Wireless Safety Week (June 14th-18th) which is focused on the important issue of public safety. Beginning on Monday, June 14th, the VITA™ Achievement Awards Dinner, sponsored by The Wireless Foundation (News – Alert), will honor nine Wireless Samaritans from across America who have used wireless technology in extraordinary circumstances to save lives or fight crime. This prestigious evening will also recognize wireless industry leaders, Members of Congress, FCC (News – Alert) leadership and key Hill staff for their efforts in promoting wireless technology as a vital safety tool.
Hans Lewis is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
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