New Public Service Advertisements Aim to Educate Young Adults on the Dangers of Texting While Driving

Eighty‐two percent of young adult drivers (16‐24) have read a standard text message while driving,
according to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council. People feel pressure to remain in constant
contact, even when behind the wheel. What drivers do not realize are the dangers posed when they
take their eyes off the road and their hands off the wheel and focus on activities other than driving.
On October 27th, the State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection agencies, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council launched a Texting and Driving Prevention
public service advertising (PSA) campaign aimed at young adults to discourage them from texting while
driving and educate young people about this dangerous behavior. The PSAs communicate to teens and
adults that when you text and drive, you are not multitasking, but essentially driving blind. By taking
your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, you are making the road less safe for you, your
passengers and other drivers. All of the new TV, radio, outdoor and digital PSAs drive the audience to
the campaign website, StopTextsStopWrecks.org, where teens and young adults can find tips and tactics
for how to curb their behavior. Additionally, to extend the campaign messages online, new Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube social media channels were established.

The PSAs educate young drivers about the dangers of texting and driving and encourage them to put an
end to distracted driving by issuing the call to action, “How will you stop texting and driving?” The
campaign website provides tips and best practices for young adults to keep from texting and driving and
solicits tips and stories from teens that have been affected by this issue.
To learn more about the campaign and get the facts, visit StopTextsStopWrecks.org.



For more information on the PSA campaign visit www.StopTextsStopWrecks.org