Distracted Driving Prevention
The proliferation of the cell phone has caused an unprecedented driving safety crisis in Missouri and across the nation. Previously safe drivers have now become dangerous drivers as they take their eyes off the road and the hand off the wheel to use their cell phone to talk, text, navigate, email, and access a host of other smart phone functions. This, together with the fact that cell phone use is habit-forming and additive, has resulted in a new universe of roadway risk for Missouri motorists.
Drive By Example Missouri Campaign
In addition to supporting a new Missouri law which extends the texting ban to all drivers, I recommend that Missouri transportation officials deploy a distracted driving prevention campaign called Drive By Example.
Drive By Example is a perfect fit for use as a distracted driving prevention initiative because it is based on a clear, concise, and memorable driving safety message to drive alert, buckled, and cautious. Unlike traditional traffic safety campaigns that target a certain population of the driving public, Drive By Example is applicable to all drivers influencing them to adopt safe driving habits that protect themselves, their passengers, and others on the roadway.
Part and parcel of the Drive By Example safe driving program is an outdoor media campaign that is targeted toward distracted driving prevention.
Click on the link Distracted Driving Prevention Billboards to view several examples of Drive By Example’s outdoor media that urges drivers to protect themselves against the threat of a distracted driver.
Drive By Example Partnerships
By bringing the Drive By Example safe driving program to our state, Missouri transportation officials and authorities would also be better able to engage regional and local driving safety partners such as law enforcement, schools, hospitals, physicians, and private corporations in the fight against distracted driving. For instance, school districts can keep driving safety high among students, staff, administration, and parents by incorporating the Drive By Example platform at all grade levels. Corporations can help protect employees’ health and meet important corporate objectives by making Drive By Example part of their corporate well-ness programs.
From our perspective, here are priorities for effective distracted driving prevention
- Pass an all-driver texting ban
- Implement a state-wide distracted driving prevention campaign that targets all driver
- Engage driving safety partners through distracted driving prevention initiativesDouglas R. Horn
