Jun
17

40 States Now Ban TWD!!! Welcome Hawaii

hawaii-island-map-decal[1]40 states now ban texting in cars

By Tara Baukus Mello · Bankrate.com

Hawaii has enacted a law making it the 40th state in the nation to ban texting while driving a car. The law, which goes into effect July 1, is the first anti-texting law passed this year.

Laws against texting while driving dramatically increased in 2009, when AAA started a campaign to have the practice outlawed in all 50 states. Prior to 2009, just 18 states had laws against texting while driving. Florida is expected to ban the practice soon, leaving just Arizona, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina and Texas with no laws against texting while driving.

Those who text while driving are six times more likely to crash their cars than those who aren’t, according to a 2009 University of Utah study.  A survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed that 35 percent of those surveyed admitted to reading a text within the last 30 days and 27 percent said they had sent a text or email within the prior month. That same surveyed showed that 86 percent of those surveyed support laws against reading, typing, or sending a text or email while driving, and 95 percent consider it unacceptable to send a text or email while driving.

Do you send text messages from your cellphone while driving? Does your state ban the practice?

Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.

#textkills

Great work Tara!

-Swerve

Text Kills Administrator, Swerve

Jun
13

Rick Allen (Def Leppard) Agrees Text Kills®!

Recently I had the honor of running into Rick Allen, the drummer for the world famous Rock & Roll band Def Leppard.

See what he has to say about TWD!

Rick Allen - Def Leopard - #textkills

Rick Allen of Def Leppard agrees that Texting While Driving is a bad practice.

#textkills
#defleppard
#rickallen

-Swerve

Text Kills Administrator, Swerve

Jun
13

Florida Governor Rick Scott Agrees that Text Kills®!

Dear Text Kills:

Thank you for contacting Governor Rick Scott regarding legislation passed by the Florida Legislature during the 2013 regular session.  The Governor appreciates your thoughts and asked that I respond on his behalf.

The Executive Office of the Governor follows all bills as they move through the legislative process.  Please be assured, Governor Scott carefully considered your comments and those of other concerned citizens regarding Senate Bill 52 relating to the Use of Wireless Communications Devices While Driving as he made his decision.

After consulting with all interested parties and thoroughly weighing all sides of this issue, Governor Scott signed Senate Bill 52 into law.  Information about the Governor’s Bill Actions can be found online at www.leg.state.fl.us and the Governor’s web site at http://www.flgov.com/bill-action/.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact the Governor’s Office.  Your input is important to him.  Information about the Governor’s administration and initiatives can be obtained online at www.flgov.com.
Sincerely,

Warren Davis

Office of Citizen Services

Executive Office of the Governor

Sign up to receive Governor Scott’s e-mail updates at www.FLGov.com/newsletter. Information about the Governor’s 2013-14 Budget can be obtained online at www.floridafamiliesfirst.com.

@ItsWorkingFL

Jun
10

Distracted Driving Proving A Costly Price To Pay For Governments Across The Country

A story in the news today shows that governments across the country are paying huge dollars in legal claims involving government-issues vehicles, many relating to distracted driving or texting while driving. In Arizona’s Valley, for example, local governments have paid at least $35.8 million in legal claims in the past five years. In fact, auto-related claims accounted for between 20 percent and 61 percent of total legal claims filed in the area.

Unfortunately, this is not an anecdotal instance, but rather evidence of a larger national trend. Advances in technology have allowed employees to engage in many tasks directly from their government-issued cars, which has led to a rise in distracted driving practices and accidents among such workers. In the case of Arizona, there are no laws that make texting while driving illegal, so it has fallen to local governments to implement their own anti-TWD policies, which (judging by the data) have not been very successful. Arizona is now one of the few states that does not have legislation in place making TWD illegal, but Text Kills® hopes that they will soon follow the majority of states by enacting such laws.

In order to combat these alarming crash statistics and limit costly legal claims, some local governments are implementing new software that allows them to match the usage of a city-issued cellphone against the times employees are driving city-issued cars. However, this will not stop employees from using their own devices while driving, which prove just as dangerous. Other cities are also investing in technology that allows dispatchers to use hands-free communicators attached to steering wheels so that employees don’t take their eyes off the road.

Text Kills® agrees that technology can prove a good solution to such problems. We proudly endorse the Drive Reply® smartphone app by Iconosys, Inc., which was developed by Text Kills® Founder Wayne Irving II. The application automatically turns on while driving and replies to any inbound calls or text messages so that the user can focus on driving. We believe that this application and similar technologies could be used by governments and their driving employees to promote safe driving practices. It is clear that TWD is a problem for a lot of drivers in this country (including government ones) that needs to be taken seriously. Hopefully, more and more people will get educated on the issue and make personal pledges not to engage in texting while driving.

For more on this story, click here.

Press Icon AZ Central

Jun
07

Texting While Driving: Bad In Theory And Practice

A four-month long anti-texting-while-driving campaign conducted by AAA Carolinas’ Foundation for Traffic Safety and the South Carolina Public Safety Foundation at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC has resulted in an attitude shift for students. Nearly half of the students surveyed after the campaign said that their attitudes towards TWD had changed.

Unfortunately, there seems to be only a slight increase in the percentage of students who said they never text while driving, from 59% to 61%. This seems to suggest that while the program successfully educated students about the dangers of TWD, it may be more difficult for these teen drivers to unlearn bad behaviors that have already become habits. About half of teenagers admit to texting while driving–an alarming statistic, to be sure.

The educational campaign utilized many of the same methods that Text Kills® does at all of its events: graphic videos, a texting while driving cone course, brake reaction test, essay contest, texting simulators, and a speech by Presley Melton, a victim of texting while driving, and her father, Bruce. The outreach effort comes at a really important time, as Memorial Day signaled the beginning of the “100 deadliest days” for teen drivers, with seven of the ten most deadly days of the year occurring between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

We applaud the AAA Carolinas’ Foundation for Traffic Safety and the South Carolina Public Safety Foundation for their efforts. We believe that education and awareness regarding TWD and driver safety are vital for young people. It is especially important to teach kids about the realities of TWD before they ever get behind the wheel, as it seems that it is much more difficult to get teens to stop texting and driving after they have already formed the habit. Texting while driving accidents are killing more of our youth than any other cause, and we need to do everything we can to change this alarming trend.

What else can be done to help? We believe that legislation and teen driving restrictions, when properly implemented, can also prove effective in the fight against TWD. This is why we support AB 1113, a California bill that seeks to increase teen driver safety. While there doesn’t seem to be an easy solution to this problem, Text Kills remains dedicated to getting the word out and doing all we can to convince people to take the pledge not to text while driving.

For more information on this story, click here.

AAA FOUNDATION FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY LOGO

Jun
04

An Open Letter To California Senator Mark Wyland From Text Kills® Founder Wayne Irving II

A bill in the California State Legislature (AB 1113) that seeks to increase teen driver safety was approved by the State Assembly via a 65-6 vote. The bill would require that a provisional drivers license remain in effect until a driver reaches the age of 18. It would also lower the current nighttime driving restriction from 11:00 PM to 10:00 PM, modify the age restriction on the transporting of passengers from 20 years of age to 21 years of age, and increase the 6 month learner permit requirement to 9 months.

AB 1113 now moves to the State Senate for further consideration. Text Kills® believes that this bill could really increase the safety of young drivers and everybody on the roadways and potentially save lives. We are based in California, so seeing this law passed would be especially exciting for us. Our Founder, Wayne Irving II, wrote an open letter to California State Senator Mark Wyland (see below) urging him to support this bill, and we sincerely hope that he sees the importance of it like we do.

For more information on AB1113 or to tell your senator to support the bill, please click here.

AB 1113 Letter-page-0

 

AB 1113 Letter-page-1

May
31

Another Big Company Agrees That Text Kills®: Shell Joins the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety’s (NETS) Board of Directors

Shell International Petroleum Co. announced this week that they have joined the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety’s (NETS) board of directors. The company displays a firm commitment to good driving practices with its global road safety program, which seeks to improve the safety of its staff and contract drivers.

“Safety is always the top priority at Shell and safe road transport is integral to Shell’s business – whether it is transporting fuel to one of our customers, delivering equipment to construction projects or simply traveling to meetings,” said Mike Watson, Shell global road safety manager. “In addition to a strict road safety regime for our people and contractors, we’re committed to improving road safety in the communities where we work through partnerships and community programs. We’re pleased to join NETS’ Board of Directors. This will enhance our ability to exchange best practices with leading companies and provides Shell with another platform for advocating road safety worldwide.”

Judging by its safety record, Shell is indeed committed to reducing the number of motor vehicle incidents the company experiences, a figure which has declined 55% since 2008. They attribute the reduction to a comprehensive road safety management program that includes simple and clear requirements for drivers and vehicles; journey management planning; driver training; using in-vehicle monitoring systems; a complete ban on the use of mobile phones while driving; and a commitment from the company’s leadership.

Text Kills® applauds them for these actions, especially the complete ban on the use of mobile phones while driving. We feel that it is important for companies to set a good example of safety through implementing rules and regulations that discourage and punish dangerous activities like Texting While Driving (TWD). This is why the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NET) is such a great group. NETS was established in 1989 to promote safety in the corporate culture, and current members include big names like The Coca-Cola Company, Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, and UPS. Also, representatives from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are board member liaisons to the federal government, according to NETS.

We hope that this is indicative of a larger trend of more companies making a firm dedication to safety amongst their employees, especially when it comes to driving practices. Text Kills® is a huge proponent of corporate safety and has participated in many corporate safety days for companies like SDG&E and Sempra Energy. If you represent a company that is interested in making your next corporate safety day an unforgettable event, please email us at textkills@gmail.com.

For more information on this story, click here.

Shell Oil

May
30

Thank You, US Department Of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood For Agreeing That Text Kills®!

Ray Lahood

Any government, private, or public organizations that have an interest in licensing the Text Kills® brand please contact Iconosys, Inc. at (949) 335-5350.

May
28

The Terrible Truth: Texting While Driving(TWD) Surpasses Drunk Driving As Leading Cause Of Death Amongst Teens

Text Kills® has maintained for a long time that Texting While Driving (TWD) is a more dangerous practice than drunk driving, and recent studies are now confirming this sad fact. A paper that was recently published in the journal Pediatrics shows that TWD is now responsible for more car accidents and fatalities among teen drivers than drunk driving.

The study was conducted by Cohen Children’s Medical Center and found that TWD was responsible for more than 3,000 fatalities among teenagers last year, while drinking and driving was responsible for 2,700. While both numbers are alarming and far too high, the plain truth is that TWD is now the leading cause of death among teenagers. And the truly sad part is that every single one of those deaths was entirely preventable.

Text Kills® has always been a proponent of personal responsibility. It is up to every driver, especially teen drivers, to make a personal commitment not to text while driving. While laws and punishments for TWD can be effective, the only surefire way to ensure that texting accidents stop occurring is if we as a society make a decision to put the message of safety before text messages.

No text is worth a life, especially a young life. Don’t text and drive!

For more information on this story, click here.

May
24

Great News! Florida Governor Rick Scott Will Sign Texting While Driving Bill!

Text Kills® has just received word that Florida Governor Rick Scott will indeed sign SB 52, the state’s anti-texting and driving bill, on 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School in Miami, although the state law won’t take effect until October 1. We are overjoyed that Florida is following the majority of states that have already enacted anti-texting and driving legislation in effective measures to help lower the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from the practice.

It was unclear to us whether the governor would actually sign the bill. If you recall, our Founder Wayne Irving II (a Florida native) wrote a publicized open letter to Governor Scott urging him to sign it. We are very happy that  Gov. Scott seems to have made the right choice.

wayne-irving-lettertoRick Scott

We hope that other states that have yet to enact legislation for TWD (texting while driving) will follow suit and help us in our fight to put an end to the deadly practice of texting while driving.

To read more on this story, click here.

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