Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) partnered with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Ross Township Police Department, Impact Teen Drivers (ITD), and local teen leaders today to address reckless and distracted driving and kick off April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness month.
The partners joined North Hills High School students to demonstrate the very real dangers of distracted driving through a mock trial. Veronica Smith, mother of 16-year-old Mary Smith, was charged with distracted driving after drinking (coffee) while driving. The Honorable Magisterial District Judge Opiela, who serves Ross Township and West View Borough, presided over the mock courtroom.
Cell phone use is not the only distraction while driving. Other common distractions include eating and drinking, reaching for objects inside the vehicle, changing settings in the vehicle, brushing hair or applying makeup, and over-engaging with passengers, to name a few.
“Anything that causes a driver to take their attention away from driving, take their eyes off of the road, or take their hands off of the wheel is a distraction,” said PennDOT District 11 Safety Press Officer Yasmeen Manyisha. “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is the perfect time for everyone – students, parents, and all motorists – to commit to driving distraction free, this month, and always.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens aged 15-18 in the United States. Modeling good behavior is particularly important when it comes to driving. The trial emphasized the central importance of parents as influencers of teen driving behaviors.
Impact Teen Drivers (ITD) is a nationally recognized nonprofit whose vision is to create a widespread culture shift among teens and their influencers where reckless and distracted driving are recognized as unacceptable behaviors outside social norms. “Most teens are making good decisions behind the wheel, and we leverage this good behavior using positive community norming to make distracted driving as socially unacceptable as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” said Dr. Kelly Browning, ITD Executive Director.
Impact Teen Drivers’ evidence-based programming for schools and communities in Pennsylvania is made possible by NJM Insurance Group (NJM), a nationally recognized insurer and teen driver safety advocate. For more information on how to bring our programs to your community, please contact us at (916) 733-7432 or info@ImpactTeenDrivers.org.
For more information on distracted driving, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.
PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as seat belts, impaired driving, and distracted driving for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.
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