Mom Sends the Msg

In Response to Oprah's Segment on Distracted Driving

A friend forwarded me this great email by Leora who sent it to a big group of friends (who we hope are also forwarding it to their friends):

I just watched the most important Oprah episode I've ever seen.  It discussed the dangers of cell phones, driving and distractions.  If this doesn't pertain to you (meaning you don't drive or you don't use your phone ever in the car), then please disregard.

Please take a minute to review this webpage below and educate yourselves about the seriousness of the issue. It may save a life.

Maybe your own. 

I have taken the pledge and will honor it -- I will set an example for my children, the oldest of whom will be driving in just a few short years.  I think that many of the culprits in this are teenagers and young adults who are so used to texting that they can't do without it, not even for a minute.

I admit that I have been guilty, though rarely, of either checking my cell phone messages or the occasional text.  That will stop as of today.  The more difficult thing will be to not talk on my phone while driving (even with bluetooth). But I am committing to it and that means that the return calls and texts will have to wait.

As Oprah says, "Don't tempt fate, the call or text can wait".

That's all.  I am sending this email with love in my heart and a strong desire to make a difference.

Please visit this site:

http://www.oprah.com/showinfo/Americas-New-Deadly-Obsession

Thank you, Leora!  We're with you!!!

Oprah's Show on Distracted Driving Airs Today!

Set your DVRs - Oprah's show on distracted driving airs today! She calls it "America's New Deadly Obsession" - which it is. Please spread the word - the more people who see it the better! (Look for Cooper and me in the audience.) And please be sure to sign Oprah's No Phone Zone pledge!

In the News: Mom Sends The Msg is featured by The Examiner

Berdine Japsi has written a feature article on Mom Sends The Msg, detailing the history of the campaign and its importance.  Way to help spread the word!!!!  Thank you, Berdine.  Here's the start to the article (click the link below to read the whole piece):

In a telephone interview with Emily McKhann, we discussed the campaign that she and Cooper Munroe, both from TheMotherhood.com, have started. It is called Mom Sends The Msg. The purpose of this campaign is to keep the drivers mind on the wheel and not to become distracted by texting while driving.

The campaign started when Emily and Cooper where invited by the White House and the DOT to attend a Distracted Driving Summit. They created Mom Sends The Msg campaign the very next day, a result of what they had learned at the Summit, the impact it had on them, and the necessity to help spread the word of the dangers of texting while driving. 

Texting while driving is not only a problem with adults. Teens watch adults and pick up on their behaviors. If an adult does something then it must be okay. Texting while driving is not okay. This is distracted driving and it is very dangerous. A young man, Reggie Shaw, found this out the hard way. He is in his early twenties today, but in 2006 he was texting while he was driving and caused an accident that killed two people. Those two people will never go home to their families again. Reggie Shaw's life will forever be changed; he was sentenced to jail time. The state, in which the accident occurred, Utah, now has a law in place against texting while driving as a result of this accident. Reggie Shaw also spoke at the Distracted Drivers Summit in 2009. This accident has bothered him ever since, and he dedicates his time to go around the country talking to others about why they should not text and drive.

You would not get in the car with someone who is drunk, then why get in the car with someone who is texting. Click here to read Berdine's whole article in the Examiner.com ...

Forget Gum. Walking and Using Phone Is Risky.

The New York Times continues its "Driven to Distraction" series with an article today on the dangers of walking and talking on your cellphone.  Here's the article -

By MATT RICHTEL

SAN FRANCISCO — On the day of the collision last month, visibility was good. The sidewalk was not under repair. As she walked, Tiffany Briggs, 25, was talking to her grandmother on her cellphone, lost in conversation.

Very lost.

“I ran into a truck,” Ms. Briggs said.

It was parked in a driveway.

Distracted driving has gained much attention lately because of the inflated crash risk posed by drivers using cellphones to talk and text.

But there is another growing problem caused by lower-stakes multitasking — distracted walking — which combines a pedestrian, an electronic device and an unseen crack in the sidewalk, the pole of a stop sign, a toy left on the living room floor or a parked (or sometimes moving) car.

The era of the mobile gadget is making mobility that much more perilous, particularly on crowded streets and in downtown areas where multiple multitaskers veer and swerve and walk to the beat of their own devices.  read on in the New York Times ...

Introducing Focus Driven

The launch this week of Focus Driven, an advocacy group led by survivors of distracted driving tragedies, means distracted driving has met its match.  

Led by the amazing Jennifer Smith, whom we met and interviewed at the Distracted Driving Summit last year, Focus Driven has a clear mission:

FocusDriven provides victims of cell phone distracted drivers, and their friends and families, with an outlet for sharing their stories. We also provide those interested in this issue with opportunities to get involved. 

FocusDriven can help you petition your state legislation; educate your friends, families and coworkers about the hazards of distracted driving; or share your story with state representatives to help support legislation for safer roadways. 

FocusDriven supporters and advocates know, and many have experienced, the very real consequences of drivers distracted by their cell phones. We ask you to make the pledge to not drive distracted, share what you learn on our site with those you know and get involved to help make our nation’s roads safer. 

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made the announcement about Focus Driven earlier this week, and also appeared on the CBS Early show to discuss it. You can read Secretary LaHood's post about the announcement here.

Please visit Focus Driven to learn more.

  

Mom Sends the Msg on the Vehicle Vibes radio show!

 

We had such a great time talking with the wonderful Marcia Hansen, host of Allstate's Vehicle Vibes radio show!  Take a listen!

Here's the description:  On this episode of Vehicle Vibes Radio, Marcia will be talking to Cooper and Emily about their efforts to engage mothers and stop distracted driving habits. As parents, mothers play a critical role in keeping their children safe while driving but also in setting an example for their teen or soon-to-be teen drivers. Tune in and listen to this exciting interview and learn about how you can avoid distracted driving and get involved in the “Keep Your Mind on the Wheel” campaign.

Mark Your Calendars: Distracted Driving on Oprah!

We just heard from the producers of The Oprah Winfrey Show that her segment on distracted driving has been moved to Monday, January 18th.

By way of background, we supported the producers as they put the segment together and were inviting to the taping in Chicago.  The show is incredible and, as with any issue Oprah takes up, she is going to haven enormous impact on awareness, behavior and public policy. 

Set your DVR, clear your calendar, and get ready for a great and powerful show!

Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards

The New York Times continues its "Driven to Distraction" series with another front page story.  Here's the start:

By ASHLEE VANCE and MATT RICHTEL

LAS VEGAS — To the dismay of safety advocates already worried about driver distraction, automakers and high-tech companies have found a new place to put sophisticated Internet-connected computers: the front seat.

Technology giants like Intel and Google are turning their attention from the desktop to the dashboard, hoping to bring the power of the PC to the car. They see vast opportunity for profit in working with automakers to create the next generation of irresistible devices.

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show, the neon-drenched annual trade show here, these companies are demonstrating the breadth of their ambitions, like 10-inch screens above the gearshift showing high-definition videos, 3-D maps and Web pages.

The first wave of these “infotainment systems,” as the tech and car industries call them, will hit the market this year. While built-in navigation features were once costly options, the new systems are likely to be standard equipment in a wide range of cars before long. They prevent drivers from watching video and using some other functions while the car is moving, but they can still pull up content as varied as restaurant reviews and the covers of music albums with the tap of a finger.

Safety advocates say the companies behind these technologies are tone-deaf to mounting research showing the risks of distracted driving — and to a growing national debate about the use of mobile devices in cars and how to avoid the thousands of wrecks and injuries this distraction causes each year.  Read on in the New York Times ...

Be sure to check out the new website Distraction.gov. http://www.distraction.gov/ It is full of great resources and info in the fight against distracted driving.

Stay safe tonight!

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on Jon Stewart talking distracted driving!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Ray LaHood
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