By: Sonya Murphy
With
over 71% of people admittedly texting and talking on their cellular phone while
driving, and over 5,474 fatalities occurring in the United States (as of 2009)
from vehicle crashes due to distracted driving, there is no wonder why the US
Secretary of Transportation labeled distracted driving as a national epidemic
(DOT).
The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines distracted driving as "driving
while doing another activity that takes your attention away from driving; these
activities can increase the chance of a motor vehicle crash" (CDC). And although there are several types of
activities to distract drivers, such as eating, using navigation systems, and
talking on the phone, text messaging is by far the most dangerous activity a
driver can do. Texting is most dangerous
because it negatively affects the visual, cognitive, and manual responses that
are necessary for a driver to effectively operate a motor vehicle (CDC). Furthermore, research studies show that a
driver is 23 times more likely to have a motor vehicle crash when he texts
while driving (AT&T). It is also
reported that texting while driving ("TWD") is more dangerous than
drunk driving (Texting & Driving Safety).
Banned
in several states, texting while driving has become a "hot topic "
for discussion as concerned citizens search for possible solutions to this
widespread problem that kills 15 Americans each and every day (Guard Child). In response to the numerous fatalities
resulting from TWD, legislators around the nation rushed to enact laws banning
the life-threatening practice.
Criticized by skeptics as being a "knee-jerk" reaction by
legislators, the TWD bans are suspected of actually increasing the number of
motor vehicle crashes according to independent studies (Scholastic). Experts claim that the bans are not enforced,
and offenders drive less carefully because they are trying to conceal their
texting from law enforcement agents (Scholastic). By keeping their cell phone sitting on their
lap or lower, then the driver's concealing activities actually lead to riskier
driving and more accidents.
In
addition to legislative bans, texting while driving
("TWD") has become such a common phenomena that tens of millions
of dollars are being spent on public campaigns aimed at countering its negative
impact on the community (Oprah). The
staggering statistics coupled with the common occurrence of TWD, has elicited a
public outcry from the media, politicians, law-makers, celebrities, businesses,
and organizations (Oprah). These
campaigns come in many forms: public
service announcements, pledge/oath day events, television commercials, online
videos and commercials, documentaries, and print ads, just to name a few
(CDC).
Some
of these campaigns contain celebrity endorsements by Oprah Winfrey, talk show
host and network mogul; Justin Bieber, pop music superstar and teen heart
throb; and Forest Whitaker, award-winning actor, which proves that the
"anti-distraction/TWD" campaigns are reaching the public on a
national level (Oprah). In fact, last
year, 165 organizations helped spread awareness and encourage people to pledge
not to text while driving (CDC).
But,
the question remains....Are these campaigns really working to reduce the level
of injuries or fatalities from texting while driving?
To
answer this question, the validity, reliability, and dependability of current
research data must be fully analyzed and compared with the pre-campaign
statistics to see if the campaigns actually work to reduce the TWD-originated
injuries and fatalities. But this is a
difficult question because the data conflicts among sources, and authorities believe
that it may be too early to tell if the "anti-distraction" campaigns
are actually working to reduce injuries and fatalities (Distraction). The overall goals are to educate, inform, and
empower individuals to stop texting while driving; consequently, one would
expect that the end result should be a decrease in overall injuries and
fatalities, but it is just too soon to make that determination
(Distraction).
Perhaps
the proper measure of success should be the level of awareness and overall
compliance by the public instead. With
these goals in mind, the campaigns now feature stories of misfortune where
everyday people experienced loss of life or serious injury to themselves or a
loved one from TWD (AT&T). The
campaigns create a meaningful impression when conveyed in a compelling
heartfelt manner, which leads to greater retention of the message.
To
further analyze the campaign's success rate, data concludes that target audiences
tend to remember deep, emotional stories of pain and loss, as opposed to
remembering statistics (AT&T). The
emotional stories have a lasting impact on audiences. For instance, in AT&T's "It Can
Wait" anti-TWD online documentary campaign, Wil Craig narrates his
unfortunate story of being slammed into a tree at 120 mph as a passenger in a
friend's car, who texted while driving; consequently, authorities identified Wil
as "dead" on the scene. After
being cut out of the windshield, doctor's believed that if he lived, he would
be no more than a "vegetable" for the rest of his 19 year old life. After being on life support and in a coma for
several months, Wil had to learn how to talk, walk, and move again...Wil Craig
survived, pushed through the pain, and now tells his story about the dangers of
texting while driving. Even though he
was not the one who texted while driving, he harbors no resentment towards his
former girlfriend. Instead he travels
around the nation sharing his story of heartache, loss, recovery, and now,
hope. This is one of many touching
stories that work well to educate, reach, and empower the community
(AT&T).
Since
its inception, AT&T and other organizations' campaigns have secured 1.2
million pledges from the public, which is substantial reach to the public. Additionally, awareness of the "It Can
Wait" campaign increased 26% during the most recent campaign period
showing that the public's awareness of the TWD issue is increasing and success
is imminent (AT&T). And even though
direct correlation is inconclusive, the Department of Transportation reported
that the total fatalities and injuries from car accidents decreased by
thousands from 2007 to 2008, which further indicates positive achievement by
the campaigns (DOT).
If
success is measured by pure numerical data alone, critics could label these
campaigns as small letdowns, but overall, these campaigns are reaching, educating,
and empowering the public to drive responsibly and avoid the life-threatening
practice of texting while driving.
And in the words of Wil Craig, a miraculous survivor of a TWD accident, "if even one life is saved
from sharing my story and this campaign, then it has been a success."
Sources Used:
ItCanWait.org ("AT&T")
Oprah.comDistraction.gov
GuardChild.com
CDC.gov
DOT.gov
Scholastic.com
TextingandDrivingSafety.com
