The U.S. Department of Transportation today unveiled "OMG," a new
public service announcement (PSA) to warn teenagers against the dangers
of distracted driving. The PSA is available on the newly redesigned Distraction.gov
website, along with new materials designed especially for young
drivers. The PSA will air nationwide on Regal Cinema theater screens
this week and on gas station pump-top screens owned by Outcast PumpTop
TV throughout the month of December.
"Teen drivers are particularly vulnerable to distracted driving,
which is why we are making an extra effort to ensure they understand the
dangers," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Thanks to the help
of Regal Cinemas and Outcast, we're reaching teens directly — whether
they're at the movies or filling up their tanks — to emphasize the
importance of keeping their eyes on the road, their hands on the wheel,
and their focus on driving at all times."
With the holiday driving season under way and young drivers preparing
to take to the roadways during their winter vacations, the new PSA is
designed to reach teenagers using imagery that relates to popular
shorthand text messages such as "L8R" for "later" or "LOL" for "laugh
out loud."
Two versions of the PSA will air. A version geared toward a teenage
audience will run exclusively on 6,589 movie screens in 526 cinemas
across the country that are owned and operated by Regal Entertainment
Group. A more somber version will air on the 12,000 screens that top
pumps at high traffic gas stations across the United States operated by
Outcast PumpTop TV. Both versions of the PSA are available for viewing
on DOT's redesigned website, www.Distraction.gov.
"Regal Entertainment Group is pleased to support the Department of
Transportation's public service campaign to create awareness of many
driver distractions and to encourage safe driving habits," stated Greg
Dunn, President and COO of Regal Entertainment Group. "We hope that
together we can make a difference by programming the 'Distracted
Driving' PSA in our theaters across the country during this busy holiday
season."
"We are proud to work with Secretary LaHood and DOT to help raise
awareness for this lifesaving campaign by reaching drivers with a
relevant reminder about texting and talking while driving," said Nathan
Gill at Outcast's PumpTop TV. "We want to ensure that our busy,
on-the-go audience has access to important information that can help
save lives, and there is no better time to be reminded of this vital
message than during those five minutes our viewers are stopped at the
pump."
"Today's teenagers make no secret about the fact that they want to
stay connected to their social networks and enjoy text messaging. That's
why it's so important that we educate young drivers of the dangers of
distracted driving and help them make smart decisions that will keep
them safe during the holiday season and beyond," said NHTSA
Administrator David Strickland.
In 2009, Secretary LaHood launched a national anti-distracted driving
campaign to combat the growing trend toward this dangerous behavior,
including a dedicated website to provide the public with a comprehensive
source of information on the issue. Since then, DOT has also hosted two
national summits devoted to reducing distracted driving, crafted sample
legislation which states can use to adopt distracted driving laws, and
initiated pilot law enforcement programs in Hartford, Conn., and
Syracuse, N.Y., modeled after the Department's successful efforts to
increase seatbelt use and curb drunk driving.
Currently 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam have banned
text messaging by all drivers. Nine states, the District of Columbia,
and the Virgin Islands have prohibited all hand-held cell phone use
while driving.
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