TEXTING & DRIVINGMulti-tasking Misunderstood?
HOW MANY OF US?
• How many of us have done it?
• Astonished by others multi-tasking?
• Study while listening to music?
• Study while watching a TV show??
• Study while chatting with friends???
• Text while Driving!!???
• Pray while in Hospital Beds!!???
SO FAR?
• Many accidents
• Many laws
• Government persuasion
• Banners
• Warnings
• Spot fines
• Issuing Tickets
HOW THINGS MAY CHANGE
• Sense of Morality
• Heavy Fines and Punishments
• Attack the Wallets
• Stringent Laws
• Leverage the Fear
• Documentaries & Hypes
• Attack the sensitivity of viewers
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC)
• Putting the brakes on the distracted driving epidemic will require both dedication and creative thinking, and the FCC is committed to doing its part to address this growing crisis.
- Julius Genachowski (Chairman)
• Working with Industry & Government
• Article “The Dangers of Texting While Driving”
THE DANGERS OF TEXTING WHILE
DRIVING• Driver distraction – 18% of all fatal
crashes!
• 3,092 people killed
• 416,000 people injured
• 40% of American teens have been in cars driven by distracted drivers
• Texting increases risk 23 times
• 11% of accidents with ages 18-20 texted while driving
GOVERNOR’S HIGHWAY SAFETY ASSOCIATION
• 11 States, DC, PR, Guam and USVI prohibit use of hand-held cell phones while driving
• NO State bans ALL CELL PHONE USE
• 37 States ban novice drivers
• 19 States ban school bus drivers
• 41 States, DC, PR, Guam and USVI ban texting for all drivers
• 6 & 3 for novice and bus drivers respectively
WHAT TO DO?
• Government & Organizations doing their job
• But something missing?
• Cannot be eradicated
• Too many variables to consider
• Modify existing rules & practices
• Minimize damages to life & property
STEPS TO BE TAKEN
• Increase fines by 100% or 200% if possible
• Many follow laws just to prevent paying fines
• Temporary suspension of license is caught more than once
• Fear of being caught to be leveraged
• All efforts to be capitalized
• No time and money to be wasted
STEPS TO BE TAKEN
• Collective effort required to make sure efforts reach the masses
• Polls & Questionnaires regarding laws passed to check the reach
• Decisions & Strategies based on poll results
• AT&T “ItCanWait”
• Campaigning of such efforts
LEVERAGE SENSITIVITY?
• Dramatize situations
• Documentaries involving true incidents
• Instill the fear of how people are affected
• Real situations and reactions create a huge impact
• Recent voices over gunshots
• People related easily creating a long-standing impact
• Hitting sensitivity – one of the best ways to reach masses
LEVERAGE SENSITIVITY?
• Talk shows and Interviews discussing the topic in detail
• Spread the message through media
• People need to be reminded constantly of such important stuff
• Should be instilled in sub-conscious
• Good way to make people do things; good or bad!
WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE!?
• Boils down to MORALS!
• Government takes EFFORTS!
• People translate efforts to RESULTS!
• At least get people to make CALLS and avoid TEXTS! – Less risky!
• One person make one another person follow rules every month
• 4,000 people following rules every year
• Baby steps to a victorious Nation!
WORKS CITED• Austin, Michael. "Texting While Driving: How Dangerous is it?." Car and
Driver. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jul 2013. <http://www.caranddriver.com/features/texting-while-driving-how-dangerous-is-it>.
• "Cellphone and texting laws.". Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, n.d. Web. 23 Jul 2013. <http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.asp&xgt;.
• Distracted Driving Laws Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), n.d. Web. <http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html>.
• No Texting While Driving. AT&T. Web. 24 Jul 2013. <http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2964>.
• "STATE LAWS." Digest of Distracted Driving Laws. Distraction.Gov. Web. 23 Jul 2013. <http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/state-laws.html>.
• "The Dangers of Texting While Driving." Federal Communications Commission. Federal Communications Commission. Web. 23 Jul 2013. <http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving>.