Study To Focus on Why Teens Drive Distracted
PHILADELPHIA, April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- End Distracted Driving (EndDD) today announced it is collaborating with researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital to conduct a comprehensive distracted driving study for teens.
According to EndDD more than 50% of serious teen crashes are caused by distraction, with teens dying in distraction-related crashes at more than three times the rate of any other age group. Despite many campaigns, these awful statistics have not significantly improved over the last 10 years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), defines distracted driving as "any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving".
"April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and there's no better time to announce our support for a study that will determine the most effective messages to cause teens to drive without distraction and to speak up when they see others driving distracted," said Joel Feldman, founder of End Distracted Driving (EndDD), whose daughter Casey was killed in 2009 by a distracted driver.
"Our objective is to leverage communication and marketing tools to develop a high school campaign optimized to reduce distracted driving among high school students," said lead researcher Rebecca Robbins, PhD, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's' Hospital and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "The ultimate messages and slogans will be developed by working in close partnership with students throughout the study."
The 15- month project, which was developed with the assistance the National Coalition for Distracted Driving, will consist of in-depth interviews of teens, a national teen survey, and consultations with advisory groups of teachers, coaches and students at a number of schools. The study was made possible by a donation from the Equitrans Midstream Foundation, the charitable arm of Equitrans Midstream Corporation.
Added Feldman, "Teens are the most inexperienced of drivers. They're addicted to their phones and unfortunately regularly see mom and dad driving distracted. As parents we have been poor role models. Our goal with this research is to determine which messages will be most effective in getting through to teens. This study is desperately needed and will save teen lives."
As part of the study, EndDD plans to use the most talented high school filmmakers in the country to produce compelling PSA's targeted to teen drivers.
ABOUT END DISTRACTED DRIVING BACKGROUND
EndDD.org, is a campaign of the Casey Feldman Foundation, a Pennsylvania non-profit, that was established in 2009 by Casey's parents Joel Feldman and Dianne Andersen after Casey was killed by a distracted driver. Joel Feldman, a Philadelphia attorney, has devoted the bulk of his professional time since Casey's death to educating teens and adults about distracted driving.
Media Contact
Joel Feldman, End Distracted Driving, 1 215-735-3716, [email protected]
Deborah Forrister, Envoca Search Marketing, 888-301-9525, [email protected]
SOURCE End Distracted Driving
Share this article