The North Carolina Highway Patrol has been visiting high schools lately trying to teach teenagers the dangers of distracted driving. Last year alone 140 teenagers were killed in car accidents on North Carolina (NC) highways and it is largely believed that texting while driving played a factor in the majority of those accidents.
Texting while driving, or using another electronic device such as an MP3 player, is common among younger drivers. So common in fact, that North Carolina (NC) has imposed laws banning texting or emailing while operating a vehicle. However, the North Carolina Highway Patrol feels this isn’t enough. They have started the Texting While Driving Campaign; aimed at teaching young drivers what can happen when they are distracted behind the wheel.
My colleague, Richard Shaprio, recently wrote an article about the Texting While Driving Campaign making a stop at Enloe High School in Raleigh. During their visit officers set up a traffic cone obstacle course and had teenagers attempt to drive a golf cart through while texting. They also showed videos of the aftermath of car accidents where distracted driving played a part.
However, officers are also trying to put out an upbeat message. Studies show that teenagers respond well to positive reinforcement and the North Carolina Highway Patrol is doing just that. Teenagers in Wake County were offered a Facebook Campaign that rewards good driving. Thirteen Wake County high schools have created Facebook fan pages that show the message that “9 out of 10 teen drivers are not on the cell phones while driving.”
Each high school is in competition with the others to see who can earn the most fans to their Facebook fan page. Millbrook High School won $500 in September and another contest is set for October. Officers hope that sending out a positive message with a little incentive will help make teen drivers more aware of the dangers of texting while driving.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys handle automobile negligence cases involving cars, trucks, trains, and motorcycles everyday. You can obtain a copy of one of our FREE reports about car accident cases, including our special report on distracted driving or our Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in North Carolina. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.
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One Comment
Wayne Parsons
We need the teen driver program in Hawaii where we also have too many young drivers killed.
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