In late November 2011, the Department of Transportation announced its latest campaign to combat distracted driving. The new campaign, which is called "OMG," is aimed at educating teens of the dangers that distracted driving pose and to reduce the number of car accidents.
Commenting on the new campaign, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated, "Teen drivers are particularly vulnerable to distracted driving, which is why we are making an effort to ensure they understand the dangers."
The campaign, which will run through December 2011, consists of two new public service announcements (PSAs) that will air in approximately 525 movie theaters and on an estimated 12,000 screens atop gas pumps around the country. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) release, the two PSAs will target teenagers through the use of images of shorthand that teens often use while texting.
While texting and driving is extremely dangerous - drivers who text have a risk of getting into a car accident that is 23 times higher than drivers who are not distracted, according to Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) - it is not the only form of distracted driving. The NHTSA defines distracted driving as "any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving," which includes:
- Eating and drinking
- Conversing with passengers
- Changing the radio station
- Using a navigation system or reading a map
- Personal grooming
VTTI research shows that drivers will divert their eyes from the road an average of 4.6 seconds when texting (either sending or receiving a text). In distance, this equates to the length of a football field at 55 mph. For all drivers, but especially young, inexperienced drivers, taking their eyes off the road for this distance can have devastating results.
And, according to NHTSA statistics, the distracted drivers most likely to be involved in fatal accidents are teens. That is why the OMG public service announcements are so important.
Source: NHTSA, "U.S. Department of Transportation Unveils 'OMG' PSA to Warn Teens About the Dangers of Distracted Driving," Nov. 28, 2011.