Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
FOX’s Glee is not only an American musical comedy-drama, but it’s now got some serious educational value to it!
Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently teamed up with the makers of Glee to help to keep our young drivers safe on America’s roadways.
They’re focusing on distracted driving — officials with the DOT have been focusing on this epidemic for 3 year now. It’s a driving behavior that is not only jeopardizing the safety of our young drivers, but the safety of everyone else on our roadways.
Our Miramar car accident lawyers understand that Florida is one of the only states left that has not enacted any kind of distracted driving laws. That means that any and all drivers are free to take their attention off of the road and place it on their cell phone or text messaging device. We understand that targeting teen drivers is one of the most effective ways to fight this battle as they’re the drivers who are most likely to engage in this behavior.
Recently, there was an episode of Glee in which the dangers of distracted driving were highlighted. One of the show’s main characters was involved in a car accident that was caused by texting and driving. The footage from that episode is going to be used in a new public service announcement (PSA), “On My Way.”
This PSA is going to be used to show drivers just how long they’re taking their eyes off of the road and attention off of driving while messing with a cell phone. Studies have illustrated that a driver takes their attention off of the wheel for an average of 5 seconds for every text message they read/write. When you’re not looking at the road, you can travel about the length of a football field without ever looking up. That’s a recipe for disaster!
“We had been looking for an opportunity to tell the story of how a few seconds of carelessness could have a devastating impact on people’s lives,” said Glee’s co-creator Ryan Murphy.
The PSAs are all a part of a national campaign to get young drivers to put down the cell phone when they’re in the driver’s seat. It’s the “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” campaign and it’s headed by officials with the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Also in on the action are with state consumer protection agencies, the Ad Council, state Attorneys General and FOX.
The truth of the matter is that texting while driving can have some serious consequences. Many times, our youngest drivers overlook the dangers of these actions because many of them think they’re invincible out there. Talk with your young driver today and discuss the very real dangers of distracted driving. Your talk can have a serious impact on their safety, and the safety of others, out there.
If you or your teen driver has been injured or killed in a car crash, contact the injury lawyer of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free consultation to discuss your case. Call 1-800-561-7777 today!
More Blog Entries:
November/December: Most Dangerous for Drunk Driving Car Accidents, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, November 5, 2012
Increased Risks for Car Accidents with Winter Snowbird Population, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, November 3, 2012