Twitter PSA Targets Teens and Young Adults to Prevent them from Becoming Distracted Drivers

April 19, 2010 - PRLog -- Drivers under the age of 20 have the highest proportion of distraction related fatal crashes.

As Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Studios take a stand and launch a new public service campaign to declare April 30th the first national “No Phone Zone Day,” an Austin mother turns to the internet to spread awareness about distracted driving.

“Texting isn’t the only distraction drivers face,” says Donna L. Johnson, creator of a Twitter PSA video posted on YouTube. “The growing popularity of social networking applications for mobile phones adds another dynamic to the distracted driver epidemic.”

Johnson lost her 16 year old nephew in a car accident in April of 1997. The young driver was distracted by the radio and lost control of the vehicle while under the influence of marijuana. Johnson’s nephew wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHS18U1pS0I



“When you combine all of these factors, it’s literally an accident waiting to happen. Teens and young drivers need to be reminded to buckle up and put it [cell phone] down,” says Johnson.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, deadly driving habits kill nearly 6,000 Americans a year. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2005 study revealed that drivers are four times less likely to get into accidents serious enough to cause injuries when cell phones are turned off while driving.

“Oprah has done an outstanding job with her “No Phone Zone” call to action. In addition to national “No Phone Zone Day”, I’d like to see April 2011 as national “No Phone Zone Awareness Month” honoring not only my nephew’s life, but all of the precious lives that have been lost as a result of distracted reckless driving,” commented Johnson.

For additional information on distracted driving, visit www.distraction.gov.
To take the No Phone Zone pledge, visit www.oprah.com/nophonezone.

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Donna L. Johnson is a speaker and confidence coach with a passion for empowering and serving others. Founder of an Austin-based women’s entrepreneurial group and contributing writer to Forbes, she gives workshops on attraction marketing, relationship building, and personal development. To find out more, visit www.unemployedentrepreneur.com and www.DonnaSpeaks.com. Donna can be reached at 512.228.9436 or by email at info@donnaLjohnson.com