Oprah and Rye teens share a message: Say no to distracted walking and driving
Winning Posters
[February 7, 2011, Rye, NY] When Oprah Winfrey gets involved, you know that something big is coming. No, it’s not a book deal, and sorry, she’s not giving away free cars to Rye residents. Rather, Oprah has jumped on board with a new traffic safety campaign that calls for drivers to make their cars cell phone free zones. Though distracted driving may be Oprah’s latest cause, many in our community have been advocating for safer driving behavior long before the trend setting celebrity.
With help from the Rye Y’s Safe Routes to School Committee, traffic safety pledges have been distributed at area schools for the last two years along with “I Stop at Crosswalks” car decals. Recently, Rye’s teens also got involved, as Rye High conducted a poster contest featuring the dangers of distracted walking and driving. In a twist to the traditional public service announcement, messaging was targeted to teens and tweens, those most likely to be texting in a car or while walking. Recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a view of what can happen when you combine cell phone use with driving:
- In 2008 almost 6,000 people were killed and a half-million were injured in crashes related to driver distraction.
- 4 out of every 5 accidents (80%) are attributed to distracted drivers. In contrast, drunk drivers account for roughly 1 out of 3 (33%) of all accidents nationally.
- Texting while driving is about 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated.
With data like this, it’s no wonder that teens are trying to convince peers and parents to put down their phones while driving. Grier Poole, winner of the SRTS poster contest, is a 9th grader and not yet driving, but she is well aware of the dangers of texting while driving or walking. Using vernacular unique to texting teens, her poster message is clear: !$ th@ t3xT m0r3 !m0rtnT tH@n y0Ur fr!3nds l!f3? Translation: Is that text more important than your friend’s life?
Clever messages such as Poole’s will hopefully capture the attention of both teens and adults who currently view 24/7 cell phone use in the same vein as eating, breathing and sleeping. Is it really that important? Some Rye High teens don’t think so, and their posters, soon to be used in public service campaigns, will help promote the no distracted driving message in ways that perhaps, may inspire even Oprah.
In addition to Poole, winners of the SRTS poster contest are: Daniel Sundaram, Samantha Brown, Alissa Vitiello, Jack Usry, and Eli Reynolds. Nichole Chiffriller, digital photography teacher coordinated the entries on behalf of Rye High School. Future plans for the SRTS Committee include a community forum on distracted driving and walking. Steve Mochel of Fresh Green Light is helping to plan the Spring event.
Photo Caption: Winners of the Safe Routes to School poster contest at Rye High School include: Alissa Vitiello, Eli Reynolds, Principal Dr. John Smith, Jack Usry, and Daniel Sundaram. Missing from photo: Grier Poole and Samantha Brown.
COMMUNITY FORUM ON DISTRACTED DRIVING AND WALKING
March 24, 7-9 pm, Rye Free Reading Room. Click here for details.
