2013 Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities Susan Gorcowski Office of Communications National Highway Traffic Safety Administration April 2013

Educating to Increase Awareness and Reduce Distracted Driving Crashes

Regulatory Campaign High-Visibility Enforcement Public Awareness NHTSA’s Strategy to Prevent Distracted Driving

Odds ratio for secondary tasks in the 100-Car Study

Primary: Young Adult Drivers Secondary: Young Adult Peers Tertiary: All Drivers For our program purposes, who are we talking to?

Young adults live in a constantly connected world where multitasking is part of their DNA. This manifests behind the wheel where they recognize that talking/texting while driving is dangerous, but they do it anyway. What’s the Key Insight?

Young drivers report highest levels of phone involvement in crashes. Young drivers are 2-3 times more likely to send/read texts or s while driving. As passengers, young drivers are far less likely to ask the driver not to text. Key Facts

“I don’t think singling out cell phones was necessarily the smartest thing to do. I know there are statistics that support it, but has anyone done statistics on how many Big Mac eaters have caused accidents?” “I think I’m able to multitask so many different things, that it doesn’t really bother me when I’m driving and on the phone.” “If you know the number you’re dialing, you don’t really have to look at your phone to figure out which buttons you’re pushing.” “When I’m dialing, I don’t pay attention to the road. I’m looking at the phone, and usually I’m hitting the wrong buttons.” Focus Group Comments on Cell Phones and Driving

“I’m not looking up. I’m looking down.” “If I’m doing it, I know what I’m capable of and I know how to expect my own reactions, as opposed to somebody else’s.” “It depends on who’s driving. Some people can do it, some people can’t. Some people you just don’t want to be in the car with when they’re on the phone.” “I, like, order my friends around when I’m a passenger. If I’m driving, I want them to shut up and let me drive. But it’s the other way around when I’m a passenger. I just don’t trust people, other people driving, unless they’re my parents.” Focus Group Comments on Texting and Driving

Enforcement Social Norming NHTSA Campaigns

NHTSA Ad: Enforcement OMG

NHTSA Ad: Social Norming BAM

Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks. NHTSA & Ad Council Campaigns Pedestrian in mall

NHTSA Mazda Racing Team Ad Council NOYS Project Yellow Light

StopTextsStopWrecks.org

Distraction.gov

Campaign tools Statistics and facts State laws Research Media resources Material for parents/educators “Faces of Distraction” Distraction.gov

New partnerships New ads/material Two-year media buy What’s Coming?

Questions? v6