We've all seen the bumper stickers that urge motorists to get off the cell phone and drive. Now there's something a bit more official. Indiana now has a sponsored license plate with the bold message: "Put the Phone Down." The state gives $25 of the $40 cost to the Indiana Motor Truck Association, which vows to devote 100 percent of its share to distracted driving education programs such as the Save a Life Tour. The vanity plate was unveiled Jan. 14 by the truckers group, the office of the state attorney general, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the state DOT. The truckers group … [Read more...]
‘Close to Home’: Social-media tragedy
July 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The latest video from AT&T's It Can Wait campaign against distracted driving shows the consequences of a mom's glance at a smartphone image posted to social media. In slow motion or full speed, it's not a pretty picture: The public-service ad follows through on AT&T's promise to expand It Can Wait beyond just texting & driving, based on studies that show social media use is a significant threat on roadways. The spot also has 30-second versions. Directed by Frederic Planchon via the agency BBDO New York. … [Read more...]
N.Y. signs off on ‘texting zones’
September 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment
New York is setting up "texting zones" on state thruways and highways, with rest stops, Park-n-Ride lots and the like doing double duty as safe harbors for text messaging. Sorry, no cyber cafes or blazing-fast wireless service. The initiative appears to boil down to 298 highway signs going up urging motorists to pull off the highway -- safely and in designated areas -- instead of engaging in distracted driving. "We are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road because your text can wait until the next texting zone," … [Read more...]
Herzog revisits texting tragedies
August 8, 2013 by 3 Comments
The "sequel" to Werner Herzog's stunning short films about the ravages of distracted driving has debuted at a running length of 35 minutes. "From One Second to the Next" visits with those whose lives have been shattered by four drivers who were distracted by text messaging. The film was sponsored by AT&T -- and created by Herzog as a director for hire. The half-hour film can be viewed below or at itcanwait.com The documentary opens with the testimony of the mother of Xzavier, a Milwaukee boy left in a coma and without legs after a woman who was texting hit him in a school … [Read more...]
$2.4 mil for Calif., Del. enforcement
June 7, 2012 by 1 Comment
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled a "Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving" that includes $2.4 million in funding for enforcement in Northern California and Delaware. LaHood's plan seeks to encourage the 11 states without distracted driving laws to take action, although there were no specifics on how this would be achieved. The new Department of Transportation plan also calls for the auto industry to adopt "new and future guidelines for technology to reduce the potential for distraction," but it was unclear if this signaled any kind of increased pressure on vehicle … [Read more...]
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