Schools and organizations from all over the country are turning to Teens Against Distracted Driving to help promote distracted driving awareness. Samantha H., a senior at Argos Jr./Sr. High School in Argos, Indiana came to us at the beginning of the year and asked us to sponsor her project which consisted of a whole week of activities centered around reckless driving behaviors. In exchange for sending her 350 bracelets for her class, Samantha wrote an essay about her project and what she was able to accomplish with the help of TADD. Read her essay below…

This year for my senior project topic I chose Reckless Driving, with a focus on distracted driving.  I planned a week’s worth of activities and spirit/dress up activities in our home room class each day for everyone from seventh grade to seniors.  This project was an easy decision for me because of a personal experience I had gone through on the first day of my senior year.  Because of that, I wanted to get the word out to others how important driving really is and why it should not be done carelessly, but with caution.

For the main portion of my project, I organized two powerpoint presentations- one was graphic and very informative to present to the high school, and one not so graphic and better suitable for younger students in the junior high, each to present on Monday during home room.  Following that from Tuesday through Friday, I organized an activity for each day that dealt with reckless driving.

Tuesday’s theme was “Say ‘Peace Out’ to Drugs!” and everyone was to wear their ’60′s attire.  In home room, I provided a questionnaire over my powerpoint presentations to see what everyone learned from it.

Wednesday’s theme was “Put a Cap on Drugs!” and everyone paid one dollar to wear a hat in school that day.  Proceeds are going to be going to the Alex Brown foundation, a young girl who lost her life due to texting and driving.  Her video was shown on the announcements during home room on Wednesday, and everyone got a questionnaire over the video to fill out.

Thursday’s theme was “Drugs Turn You Inside Out!” Everyone wore their clothes inside out, and during home room I provided an essay sheet for everyone to write a paragraph explaining what reckless driving meant to them.

Friday’s theme was “Smarties Don’t Do Drugs!” Students wore their red to support Red Ribbon Week and also my senior project.  People that participated in the dress up activity received smarties.  The activity for home room was to sign a bulletin board pledge I organized about reckless driving.

My sponsor for my senior project, TADD, or teens against distracted driving, had a pledge I honored on my bulletin board, and students had the choice to sign it and agree to put their cell phones down and not touch them while driving.  Over all, the course of the week was so much work, but also very much worth it when we received almost 65% of our high school that signed the pledge to not text and drive.  It was amazing to see some of the answers on the activity sheets over the powerpoint and also Alex Brown’s video of her experience.  My senior project was very successful and I am so happy with all of the end results.  I thank everyone who has helped me with my senior project.  It turned out great!

Thirty-five states in the US have banned texting while driving—but that doesn’t mean people are putting down their phones. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked 6,000 drivers last year about their driving habits, and the vast majority (90%) of respondents said that they would support a rule that banned texting while driving. In spite of this, two in ten drivers admitted to texting or sending emails behind the wheel. Even more concerning is that among younger drivers (aged 20-24), 50% admitted to texting while driving.

It seems most drivers seemed to think that even when they were engaging in distracting behavior, they were still able to drive safely; whether they were texting, putting on make-up or even reading the paper. But over 3,000 people died last year from accidents caused by distracted drivers, and most of those distractions were cell phone related. Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, is attempting to pass federal legislation that bans texting while driving and stops senseless deaths. While we can hope that if this legislation passes more people will avoid distractions, safe driving really starts with you.

That is exactly why I started Teens Against Distracted Driving (TADD.) It is up to each of us not only to drive safely, but also to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. There are lots of ways that you can help: you can take our pledge (and get a free bracelet!), you can spread awareness at your school, you can take our survey or you can check out some of these great sites and resources. Texting and driving is an epidemic, but it can be stopped one driver at a time!

Local teen Marlana Ramirez is hosting a community awareness meeting about distracted driving at her high school. You can expect to find a presentation by TADD founder Jason Epstein as well as a victim of distracted driving and a Washington State Trooper.  So if you find yourself near Tyee High School on December 8th from 6:00-7:45, drop by and raise your awareness!

Marlana’s flyer for the event is below:

See you there!

Check out this new song about the dangers of texting and driving…

Communication technology that is designed to make out lives easier, cooler and more entertaining has a frustrating way of endangering drivers. Most everyone recognizes that texting and driving is incredibly irresponsible, and many try to stay off the phone, especially the handheld variety. But Siri, the beguiling digital assistant in the iPhone 4s, is an interesting new case.

The great thing about Siri is that you can ask her questions with hands at ten and two, but in order to get a response, you have to switch your attention from the road to her text answer displayed on the phone; you must take your eyes off the road to focus them on a 4 inch by 3 inch screen. It’s here that Siri isn’t much safer, if at all, than is texting a friend or fighting a crazed jungle cat while driving.

The most obvious use of Siri’s helpful features when you’re on the road is her navigation capabilities. Here’s where things get dicey: if you’re asking her for help with directions, and she pulls up a map, is it much different than the GPS devices considered safe by many?

It’s a gray area, both in terms of functionality and legality. Distracted driving legislation varies wildly state by state, though most have laws against people under 18 using phones at all while behind the wheel. States like California are just now passing laws that fine drivers for texting while driving instead of simply enforcing anti-cell phone laws as secondary offenses. Sadly, it’s unlikely that any state’s laws will be passed before the next, more advanced phone comes out and requires further legislation to account for it.

But even with the law’s somewhat futile chase to catch up with rapidly developing technology, a simple, common sense law will still hold true: when in control of a 1,200 pound hunk of metal traveling at speed, full attention should be paid to the road.

Ideally, advances in automated, collision-preventing safety features along with devices with which drivers can interact without using eyes or hands will make technology a safety-enhancing force on the roads. There will be cell phones that partially shut down when connected to a vehicle, or vehicles will have such advanced collision detection systems that a level of distraction provided by communication devices will have less devastating and tragic results. But those days are a ways off.

For now, as awesome and hilarious as Siri may be, when it comes to road safety, her advancements in interactivity do not do much more than provide a new way to be distracted while driving. Do yourself and the people around you a favor, and wait until you are safely pulled over to ask Siri incredibly pressing questions, like where the nearest and best place is to get a burrito.

Beckley Mason writes a street safety blog for GJEL Accident Attorneys.

“Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks” is a new anti-distracted driving campaign that was launched today by the Organization of State Attorneys General with the goal of putting an end to teen’s texting behind the wheel. Over 5,000 people were killed in 2009 in auto accidents caused by distracted driving and yet a recent poll shows that 82% of young adults still text while driving.

To simply read a text message a driver will likely take their eyes off of the road for at least 5 seconds. 5 seconds may not sound like a very long time, but when you are driving at 60 mph, it means that your eyes will be off the road for longer than the length of a football field. Here in Washington State texting while driving is illegal but the threat of a ticket just doesn’t seem to be enough to stop the majority of drivers, teens and adults, from using their cell phone while driving. There just aren’t enough police officers to stop every distracted driver. Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna is hopeful that this new campaign will shed some light on the dangers of distracted driving.

The advertisements for the new campaign will be on TV, radio, outdoor and digital PSAs as well as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens and that 16% of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.

“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. “We hope our new ad campaign will send a strong message to teens that putting away cell phones and other distractions while you’re driving is not just commonsense safe behavior, it can save your life.”

No text message is worth a life. So tell me, how will you stop texting and driving?

“The Faces of Distracted Driving,”  a campaign started by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, is meant to raise awareness about the significant dangers of distracted driving, specifically cell phone usage. The latest video features young Xzavier Davis-Bilbo, who was hit while crossing the street by his home in Milwaukee, by a young woman who was texting while driving. As a young boy Xzavier had dreams of playing football when he was older. The accident left him paralyzed from the diaphragm down.In 2009, over 5,000 people were killed in distracted driving accidents, and recent laws passed in numerous states don’t seem to be helping the problem because they are either not strict enough or they are not enforced. Distracted driving, like drunk driving is a conscious decision that we all make when we get behind the wheel. Hopefully after watching this video the next time you get in your car you leave your cell phone in a place where you can’t reach it because no ones life is worth a text message.

Teens Against Distracted Driving was founded by Seattle personal injury attorney Jason Epstein. Jason’s law firm, Premier Law Group, helps victims of serious injuries caused by the negligence of others. To speak with Jason about TADD or about a personal injury you have suffered, call Premier Law Group at (206) 285-1743

Starting yesterday and today, new Iowa and Indiana laws on distracted driving will be enforced. Both laws are steps in the right direction, but are still lacking real teeth, and fall far below the standards set by other states. Here is a short breakdown of each law, and how TADD would like to see them strengthened.

Indiana: Starting yesterday, June 30^th, Indiana made texting while driving against the law. Included in this law is wording that makes writing or reading emails on your phone against the law as well. The penalty for being caught texting and driving is a $500 fine, and potentially more depending on whether or not the action caused an accident. While this fine is rather substantial, especially in comparison to some other states, the law is incredibly narrow.

For one, the law only bans texting and emails. This means that a driver in Indiana can legally browse Facebook, read the news on their phones, and do any other activity on their phones that does not involve texting or emailing. Another way the law falls short is it does not give law enforcement many ways to actually enforce the law. A police officer that suspects someone of texting while driving cannot demand that someone hands over their cell phone. With such a narrow law and an inability to enforce it to the fullest extent, it is difficult to see how this law will significantly cut down on distracted driving in the state.

Iowa: Starting today, Iowa has enacted a law that bans texting while driving. For the last year, law enforcement has been issuing warnings for people that were caught texting and driving, but now if they are found guilty, the act will result in a $30-$125 fine. As the first law in the state against the act of texting while driving, it is nice to see Iowa taking a step in the right direction; however, this law falls short in many regards.

One of the biggest problems with the law is that it is a secondary offense. This means that the fine for texting while driving can only be enforced if the texter is caught breaking another law. Another issue with the law is how low the fine is. In order for a law like this to hold up, there has to be a strong deterrent against the action, and this small amount of money will likely not be enough for most people. Like the Indiana law as well, this law makes no mention of other distracted activities on cell phones.

While these laws do lack teeth in many regards, it is good to see both states taking action against this incredibly dangerous activity. Hopefully each state legislature will be able to build off of this base in the following years to increase penalties and make them universal for all non-hands free use of cell phones while driving.

Teens Against Distracted Driving was founded by Seattle auto accident lawyer Jason Epstein. Jason works on TADD in his spare time, but spends the weekdays working on personal injury cases as a partner with the Seattle law firm, Premier Law Group.

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York  said today that he will be introducing new legislation that will crack down on drivers using portable devices while driving. The legislation will include a provision to make texting while driving a primary offense like it is in Washington. Currently, texting while driving is a secondary offense, meaning police can only issue a ticket if the driver is pulled over for another offense, like speeding.

The legislation introduced by Cuomo would make using any portable device while driving, including iPhones and Blackberries, a primary offense. The bill would also increase the penalty from two to three points on a person’s license, and distracted driving curriculum will be made mandatory for anyone seeking a license. The maximum fine will stay the same at $150.

In a statement, Cuomo said that “Every day, countless drivers, particularly teenagers and young adults, drive with their eyes on a screen rather than the road.” He also said  ”Distracted driving is nothing less than a lethal activity for the driver themselves, other drivers on the road, and pedestrians.”

Records from the state Department of Motor Vehicles showed that there were almost 332,000 tickets issued in the state of New York for cell phone use while driving and only 3,200 for texting while driving. This data is from 2010, the first full year that cell phone use was considered a primary offense.

Assembly Transportation Committee chairman David Gantt said last week that the bill is expected to pass before session ends June 20. Gantt remains hopeful that a deal can be reached, and Cuomo says that he is working with lawmakers to get an agreement this session. Distracted driving has been a problem in New York where several fatal accidents have occurred as a result of distracted driving in the past few years.

In June, 2007, five teenage girls died in a car crash linked to texting. In December of the same year, a 20-year-old man died in a crash while sending a text message. In 2009, a 22-year old woman died as a result of texting while driving which caused her to crash into a truck. These accidents caused many counties to pass their own laws making texting while driving a primary offense, but state laws superseded them.

It is very encouraging to see that other states are joining the fight against distracted driving. By September of this year, there will be 32 states where texting while driving is a primary offense. Distracted driving is far too dangerous to ignore. A study done at the University of Utah showed that while people are texting and driving it reduces their attention level down to that of a person with an alcohol level of 0.08%. People know about the dangers of distracted driving, but continue to put their lives and the lives of others in danger. I hope that laws similar to this one are passed in all 50 states so that we can be one step closer to winning the battle against distracted driving.

Teens Against Distracted Driving was founded by Seattle personal injury attorney Jason Epstein. Jason’s law firm, Premier Law Group, helps victims of serious injuries caused by the negligence of others. To speak with Jason about TADD or about a personal injury you have suffered, call Premier Law Group at (206) 285-1743

The push to end texting while driving nationwide has received a recent boost with the enactment of texting while driving legislation in Maine, and a similar bill waiting to be signed by the governor in Nevada.

With the signature of Governor Paul LePage on June 3rd, Maine became the 33^rd state to pass texting and driving laws. The bill goes into effect in September, and includes a $100 fine for violations. While the fine does not seem too substantial, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the bill “has taken a crucial step to improve safety and save lives on Maine roads.”

Meanwhile, Nevada is close to taking an even stronger stance against cell phone use by banning any non-hands-free use of a cell phone while driving. The bill passed through the State Senate and Assembly on June 4^th and is now awaiting the governor’s approval. Under the new law, the use of a cell phone while driving will be considered a primary offense, with offenses carrying progressively increasing fines. Anyone convicted of a third offense will have their drivers’ license suspended for 6 months.

Here at Teens Against Distracted Driving, we are very excited to see bills like these take strong stances against texting while driving, and hope the 16 states without legislation on the issue will soon follow suit. Even without these laws in place, you can make a difference by signing the TADD pledge and promising to never text and drive.