July 28 Notable NOYS

Notable NOYS

A Weekly Publication of
National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS)

July 28, 2009

EXPRESS PARTNERS WITH RADD FOR AN ANTI-TEXT
DRIVING AND DENIM FALL 2009 CAMPAIGN

This summer EXPRESS will take its road safety message to the masses and 20partners with NOYS member RADD: The Entertainment Industry's Voice for Road Safety (formerly known as Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving) & ELLE to create awareness amongst tens of million of teens and young adults on the dangers of texting while driving. A compelling print campaign and online video PSA will feature a range of young Hollywood talent including Ciara, Jesse McCartney, Scout Taylor-Compton and Brea Grant. Photographed against the LA skyline and dressed exclusively in Express' Fall 2009 collection, the campaign will bring a relevant and cool vibe to a very serious issue facing this demographic: Driving responsibility and exercising control on the road.

The Print campaign will appear exclusively in the August issue of Elle Magazine while the video PSA (launched on July 6, 2009) will be featured on Express.com. In addition to featuring the above talent, Express will offer a promotion to anyone who views a PSA featuring the above mentioned celebrities and agrees to20the terms of RADD's responsible driving guidelines with a simple click ("I will not text and drive oath"). This will also allow them to download a voucher entitling them to a free limited edition gift-with-purchase T shirt when they make any denim purchase in store or online while supplies last throughout the month of August. Through these websites, various online channels, Express' 570+ US retail stores and direct mail presence, the EXPRESS/RADD message will be heard by over 30 million people.

As a further extension, Express and Elle will be staging the FANTASY RIDE CONTEST, inviting people to submit an image of themselves showcasing their best personal style. One lucky winner will be selected by a panel of Express and Elle judges to win a trip to attend a Ciara concert with backstage access, a $500 Express gift card and the opportunity to blog on behalf of Elle.com. Customers will also be able to text their vote once 10 finalists have been identified. Additionally, three runner ups will be selected to win $250 Express gift cards. The Contest will run from July 6th through August 31st. Visit www.radd.org for more information.

It's time we all ZoomSafer!

Virginia Tech study released today confirms texting while driving is a huge risk. Youth realize this and worked hard during National Youth Traffic Safety Month to address this concern. The results of the National Youth Traffic Safety Month survey that was sponsored by The Allstate Foundation indicated:

Teens rank texting and talking on a cell among most dangerous driving risks
Compared to other dangerous driving situations teens indicated that they feel texting is only second to the danger of driving on icy roads yet the majority admit to taking these preventable risks.

87 percent believe texting while driving is dangerous

68 percent of teens admit to texting while driving (79 percent of females) but only 21 percent reported that they were confident in their driving ability while texting

63 percent say talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous

83 percent of teens admit to talking on their cell phone while driving (90 percent female) but only 43 percent reported that they were confident in their driving ability while talking on a cell phone

The Virginia Tech study found texting while driving increases the risk of a crash much more than previous studies have concluded with motorists taking their eyes off the road longer than they do when talking or listening on their cell phones.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute used cameras to continuously observe light vehicle drivers and truckers for more than 6 million miles. It found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about 6 times in cars and trucks. Recent research using driving simulators suggested that talking and listening were as dangerous as texting, but the "naturalistic driving studies clearly indicate that this is not the case," a news release from the institute said. The risks of texting generally applied to all drivers, not just truckers, the researchers said.

Right before a crash or near collision, drivers spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices, which was enough time at 55 mph to cover more than the length of a football field. Read more HERE.

NOYS member ZoomSafer has a solution that is easy to use and will help us drive safely and stay connected. ZoomSafer is mobile software and services that help you drive safely, have fun, and stay connected. Their software will be FREE to download because their goal is to prevent distracted driving for everyone, regardless of phone type or carrier network. Be part of the movement to ZoomSafer and sign up for the FREE Beta HERE.

In This Issue

Hit The Road Txt L8TR

It's time to ZoomSafer

Featured NOYS Partner

Funding Resources

Children: Key National Indicators Report

New Resource Alert

Safe Routes to School Webinar

Upcoming Meetings

CTE Role

Mental Health Problems in Youth