Arlington School District To Show Brutal Video On Dangers Of Texting And Driving
The Arlington School District is taking a harsh reality approach in showing students the dangers of texting and driving. District officials are requiring that all nine schools watch a video of an explicit, staged car accident caused by texting and driving.
After seeing the three-minute video, which is a localized version of the popular YouTube video, students are asked to sign a pledge that promises to refrain from texting while driving. The campaign is called, "txtN n drivN. it cn w8." This is texting shorthand for “texting and driving, it can wait.”
The video depicts a teenage girl who causes a three-car wreck that involves more than one fatality. Arlington officials downloaded the video and added statements from state and local elected officials, a Dallas Cowboys player and others who have taken similar anti-texting pledges.
Government agencies and advocacy groups are turning up the heat on drivers who text, citing studies that show that cell phone distractions are as detrimental as driving under the influence of alcohol.
I have been working on a similar campaign called TADD, which stands for Teens Against Distracted Driving. I go to local schools and ask them to sign a pledge card that’s says that will not text and drive. If they sign these cards, then they get an orange bracelet to remind them of the oath they took.
It is important to educate children, teens, and adults alike about the dangers of texting and driving. And while the video may be graphic, it gets the message across. Any distraction from driving can cause accidents, and often times those accidents can prove fatal. I want to encourage the Dallas/Fort Worth area to start being more attentive, and wait until after they get out of a car to write a text. In 2008, 11% of fatal crashes involved a distracted driver.
Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about a car accident or about the TADD campaign, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.
