Governor Bentley Discourages Texting While Driving in Video for Driver Education Programs
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: October 2, 2012
A new video that has the power to save lives will soon be distributed to driver education programs throughout Alabama.
"Alabama
Don't Text and Drive" is an outreach program designed to educate the
public, particularly teenaged drivers, about the dangers of texting from
behind the wheel.
As part of the outreach, approximately 450 driver education programs at
high schools across the state will soon receive copies of "The Last
Text" video to show to students. The video distribution comes shortly
after a new law went into effect in Alabama, making
texting while driving illegal.
Governor
Robert Bentley and Colonel Hugh McCall, director of the Alabama
Department of Public Safety, recorded an introduction for the video,
urging viewers to heed the
warnings not to text and drive.
"There
is no text message that's so important that it's worth risking your
life," Governor Bentley said. "And it's not just your life that could
be put at risk. Think
about your friends, and think about other drivers. If you're texting
while driving, you're more likely to cause a crash, meaning you're more
likely to harm someone else."
"Texting
while driving is a distraction, and distracted driving is impaired
driving," Colonel McCall said. "In fact, research indicates that the
level of impairment
caused by texting is similar to that of alcohol and drugs. The
Department of Public Safety urges drivers of all ages to avoid texting
and anything else that takes the focus off the road."
"The
Last Text" is part of an AT&T campaign designed to educate drivers
about the real dangers of texting while driving. The video features
candid
comments from people who have been directly affected by this issue.
Those interviewed include friends of a girl who was killed in a
texting-related crash, a driver who caused a fatal texting-related
crash, and a man who was severely impaired in another texting-related
crash. The goal is to help people understand the true risks and think
twice before texting from behind the wheel.
"In
the United States, someone is killed or injured once every five minutes
on average as a result of texting while driving," said Fred McCallum,
President of AT&T Alabama. "Quite simply, there is no message worth
losing your life. It can wait."
The
"Alabama Don't Text and Drive" effort to further educate the public
through the statewide distribution of the video was spearheaded by the
Alabama
Orthopaedic Society.
"The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Alabama Orthopaedic Society have a special interest in this project because so many of our orthopaedic
surgeons are the ones treating these injuries," AOS Executive Director Mike Merrill said.
The production and duplication of the videos is sponsored by Toyota.
"In
the same way Toyota takes a safety-first approach in our plant, we want
to do the same in our community by supporting education on the dangers
of texting while driving,"
said Jim Bolte, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama.
"Learning to drive is an exciting time for many teenagers, but it's
important to learn how to be a safe driver. This documentary from
AT&T sends a clear message about the dangers of texting
and driving, and at Toyota, we think that's a message every young driver
in Alabama needs to hear."
The videos will be distributed through the Alabama State Department of Education. In addition to being distributed among driver education programs,
the video is also available for viewing on YouTube. The video can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mofGWZj7hF8&feature=youtu.be.
Alabama's
driver's education teachers are also expected to receive an additional
DVD, "Life Behind the Wheel: A Roadmap for Safety," produced by Toyota
and Discovery
Education. This DVD includes segments for drivers of all ages, parents
of teen drivers and educators.
