They are giving away their symbolic green and orange wristbands to the next 10,000 people who come to their website and take the pledge to stop texting while driving.

They would like to help educate and increase awareness of the dangers of texting and driving. Individuals of all ages, and organizations, can help support this worthy cause by pledging not to text and drive. Everyone that signs a Pledge will receive the special green symbolic wristbands, declaring “Stay Alive….Don’t Text and Drive”.

Everybody has seen the news reports about tragic auto accidents as the result of texting and driving. Students have shown tremendous support for this movement against Distracted Driving. At a recent PDDA.org event, 560 students signed-up and took the pledge not to text and drive. The organization would like to spread the message to young folks throughout the entire world.

A goal has been set to get one million people to pledge in the next 12-months. Many of the teen drivers do not fully understand the life changing devastation that can, and does occur as a result of texting and driving. The unfortunate fact is that every 2.6 minutes a Teen is Injured, and every 7 hours, a Teen is Killed by Texting and Driving. It is time for local communities throughout this country to get involved at the grassroots level. Awareness and publicity of the problem will help to curb its practice.

Volunteers are sought, and Donations are appreciated. Not many people realize that at 55 mph it takes five seconds to cover an average football field, and 4.7 seconds is the average time a person takes his/her eyes off the road to make a text.

A texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into an accident compared to a non-texting driver. For every parent of a teen, it’s time to realize what is at stake. They shouldn’t worry about what the kids will think, saving their lives is what this is all about.

There was a recent study done by the University of Utah that concluded that texting or making a call while driving affects a driver’s reaction time in much the same way as if they had been drinking. Interestingly, it didn’t matter if it was a handheld device or a hands-free device. Research done by Carnegie Mellon University showed that a person loses 37% of their mental function required for safe driving when using a cell phone. This subject is clearly a case of life or death.

Everybody can get involved with PDDA.org. This cause has skyrocketed in awareness in a short period of time. The more people that get involved, the more lives that can be saved. It is all about spreading the word. Stop by the website or the Facebook page, and become part of this fantastic cause.

To get involved in via Facebook please visit http://www.Facebook.com/StopTextsStopWrecks

“We are moving in the right direction. Rates of teen drinking and driving have been cut in half in 20 years,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “But we must keep up the momentum — one in 10 high school teens, aged 16 and older, drinks and drives each month, endangering themselves and others.”

For the study, CDC analyzed data from the 1991-2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS). These national surveys asked high school students if they had driven a vehicle when they had been drinking alcohol one or more times during the 30 days before the survey; CDC researchers focused their analysis on students aged 16 and older.

The study also found that:

• Teens were responsible for approximately 2.4 million episodes of drinking and driving a month in 2011; some engaged in the dangerous behavior more than once a month.
• High school boys ages 18 and older were most likely to drink and drive (18 percent), while 16-year-old high school girls were least likely (6 percent).
• Eighty-five percent of teens in high school who reported drinking and driving in the past month also reported binge drinking. For YRBS, binge drinking means five or more drinks during a short period of time.

“Teens learn from adults,” said Pamela S. Hyde, the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “That is why it is critically important that parents, teachers, coaches and all caring adults in a young person’s life talk with them early and often about the dangers of underage alcohol use as well as drinking and driving.”

Many efforts have been helping to reduce teen drinking and driving. Some of the proven, effective strategies include the laws in place in every state that make it illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under age 21 and for those under age 21 to drive after drinking any alcohol, plus the graduated driver licensing systems in every state that allow teens to gain privileges, such as driving at night or driving with passengers, over time.

Parents also have a crucial role to play in keeping their teens safe on the road. They can model safe driving behavior and can consider using tools like parent-teen driving agreements with their teens. Safe driving habits for teens include never drinking and driving, following state GDL laws, and wearing a seat belt on every trip.

CDC’s Injury Center works to protect the safety of everyone on the roads, every day. For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety. In addition, CDC’s Parents Are the Key campaign, at www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey, offers parents of teen drivers information, tools, and proven tips to help protect their teens from crashes.

Vital Signs is a CDC report that appears on the first Tuesday of the month as part of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, or MMWR. The report provides the latest data and information on key health indicators.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic. While we’ve made progress in the past three years by raising awareness about this risky behavior, the simple fact is people are continuing to be killed and injured – and we can put an end to it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Personal responsibility for putting down that cell phone is a good first step – but we need everyone to do their part, whether it’s helping pass strong laws, educating our youngest and most vulnerable drivers, or starting their own campaign to end distracted driving.”

The “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving” outlines a plan that builds on the national momentum that Secretary LaHood and USDOT have spearheaded for the last three years. Recognizing the extent and complexity of the problem, the plan:

• Encourages the remaining 11 states without distracted driving laws to enact and enforce this critical legislation.
• Challenges the auto industry to adopt new and future guidelines for technology to reduce the potential for distraction on devices built or brought into vehicles.
• Partners with driver education professionals to incorporate new curriculum materials to educate novice drivers of driver distraction and its consequences. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show drivers under the age of 25 are two to three times more likely than older drivers to send text messages or emails while driving.
• Provides all stakeholders with actions they can take that go beyond personal responsibility to helping end distracted driving nationwide.

Applying a ‘Proven Formula’ to CA, DE Enforcement Programs

Coinciding with the release of the “Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving,” Secretary LaHood announced that California and Delaware have been selected to receive federal support for pilot projects that will test the effect of increased law enforcement and high-profile public education campaigns on distracted driving.

“We know from the success of national efforts like ‘Click It or Ticket’ that combining good laws with effective enforcement and a strong public education campaign can – and does – change unsafe driving behavior,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “Now, along with two great state partners, we’re using this proven formula to help tackle distracted driving.”

DOT is providing California and Delaware with $2.4 million of federal support for pilot programs that will examine whether increased police enforcement coupled with paid media and news media coverage can significantly reduce distracted driving over a widespread area. The California program will take place in the Sacramento valley region comprising eight counties and 3.8 million residents, while the Delaware program will be conducted statewide. Both projects are expected to be under way in fall 2012.

The multi-market efforts in these states mirror the approach used in smaller-scale demonstration projects completed in 2011 in Hartford, CT, and Syracuse, NY. The 2011 pilot projects found dramatic declines in distracted driving in the two communities tested – with texting dropping 72 percent in Hartford and 32 percent in Syracuse.

In 2010, at least 3,092 people were killed in distraction-affected crashes – accounting for approximately one in every ten fatalities on the nation’s roadways. Meanwhile, among the findings from NHTSA’s first nationally-representative telephone survey on driver distraction released earlier this year, more than three-quarters of drivers reported that they are willing to answer calls on all, most, or some trips. Survey respondents acknowledged few driving situations when they would not use the phone or text, and yet reported feeling unsafe when riding in vehicles in which the driver is texting and supported bans on texting and cell phone use. Almost all respondents (about 90% overall) reported that they considered a driver who was sending or reading text messages or e-mails as very unsafe.

Nationwide, 39 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam ban texting behind the wheel. Ten states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam prohibit all hand-held cell phone use while driving.

Download the Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving.

Click here to see the NHTSA report on the enforcement programs in Syracuse and Hartford.

Click here for the latest fatalities data available on FARS and here to view the agency’s telephone survey on distracted driving attitudes and behaviors.

To learn more about NHTSA’s efforts on distracted driving visit www.distraction.gov.

The report, “Teen Driver Risk in Relation to Age and Number of Passengers,” found that the likelihood of a 16- or 17-year-old driver being killed in a crash, per mile driven, increases with each additional young passenger in the vehicle. Compared to driving with no passengers, a 16- or 17-year-old driver’s fatality risk:

-Increases 44 percent when carrying one passenger younger than 21 (and no older passengers)
-Doubles when carrying two passengers younger than 21 (and no older passengers)
-Quadruples when carrying three or more passengers younger than 21 (and no older passengers)

Conversely, carrying at least one passenger aged 35 or older cuts a teen driver’s risk of death by 62 percent, and risk of involvement in any police-reported crash by 46 percent, highlighting the protective influence that parents and other adults have in the car.

The study analyzed data on crashes and the number of miles driven by 16- and 17-year-olds to assess the effect on a teen driver’s safety of having passengers in the vehicle. Though widely accepted that passengers pose a risk, recent changes – such as the adoption by most states of varying passenger restrictions for novice teen drivers, and a substantial overall decline in teen traffic fatalities – beg the question of just how significant the risk is.

Despite recent progress, the new report confirms that carrying young passengers (under 21) is still a major risk factor for 16- and 17-year-old drivers.

“We know that carrying young passengers is a huge risk, but it’s also a preventable one,” said AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President and CEO Peter Kissinger. “These findings should send a clear message to families that parents can make their teens safer immediately by refusing to allow them to get in the car with other young people, whether they’re behind the wheel or in the passenger seat.”

Additionally, given the significant decrease in risk seen when adults 35 and older were present, parents and guardians can also help protect novice teen drivers by spending more time in the car with them.

“The AAA Foundation is dedicated to reducing the number of fatalities on our roadways, and we want to get the message out when we see an opportunity to reduce the risk of a crash or fatality among the riskiest drivers on the road,” said Kissinger. “Parents and teens together can reduce this risk today.”

AAA Foundation urges families to consider these steps:
-Know the graduated driver licensing system for your state, and remember: even if the law doesn’t set a passenger limit, parents can
-Sign a parent-teen driving agreement that stipulates teens will not ride as passengers of teen drivers without a parent’s advance permission
-Provide transportation alternatives for teens who honor that pledge
-Talk with other parents so they know the rules for your teen and will help enforce them
-Spend time as a passenger when your teen is at the wheel. Your presence and your guidance help make your teen a safer driver
-Visit www.Teendriving.AAA.com for resources that can help teens become safer drivers, including a parent-teen driving agreement covering safety risks like passengers, cell-phone use and night driving

AAA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety have long-standing commitments to improving teen driver safety through research and the development of science-based tools and resources. For a copy of the study, or to learn more about our work in this focus area, visit www.aaafoundation.org. For additional resources, visit www.TeenDriving.AAA.com.

A new vehicle inspection service is making shopping for a car online even easier while also putting buyers at ease. InspectMyRide LLC, a subsidiary of DataScan Field Services LLC, one of the largest automotive inspection services in North America, provides online buyers the opportunity to obtain a comprehensive vehicle inspection performed by a professional.

The introduction of InspectMyRide was a natural progression for DataScan, which provides similar inspection and other services to the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, automotive lenders, dealerships and financial institutions. The DataScan team has more than 25 years of experience in providing automotive inspections and repair estimates.

For InspectMyRide, the services provided by the nationwide network of professional inspectors have been tailored to meet the needs of today’s consumers. The 150+ point visual inspection, variety of quality digital photos, and road test (when conditions permit) provide prospective buyers a wealth of information about the vehicle before they make their purchase decision. Within 24 hours of the inspection being completed, customers receive an e-mail notification from InspectMyRide and can easily access their comprehensive online vehicle report at InspectMyRide.com to make an informed purchase decision.

Unlike other vehicle inspections services, detailed reports at InspectMyRide® include a unique consumer-friendly scoring model that analyzes the findings from the inspection and assigns both a numeric score and a five-star rating for each vehicle. The scoring, rating, condition report and quality digital images combine to provide important information to be used in making the right decision about the purchase of a vehicle. The right decision can result in buyers driving away in their dream car or avoiding a costly mistake. “This is an exciting and innovative service that helps online shoppers feel more confident about their purchases,” said Richard Carpentier, Business Development Director for DataScan. “With InspectMyRide, consumers shopping for vehicles receive the tools they need to make the right decision for them.”

With vehicle inspections starting as low as $129, InspectMyRide is not only a convenient and comprehensive service, but also an affordable investment in a potential purchase. With more and more vehicle sales taking place online every day, safeguards – like having an automotive professional inspect your vehicle before you purchase it – are needed more than ever before. “Buying a vehicle is a big decision. While purchasing vehicles online offers great value, convenience and a wide selection, it does increase your risk,” said Brent Sergot, Vice President and General Manager of DataScan. “With InspectMyRide, you can help protect yourself by validating that the vehicle matches its online description, and add peace-of-mind to the process by putting a professional inspector to work for you when you cannot see the car yourself.”

Once buyers find a vehicle of interest, they should go to www.inspectmyride.com and complete the simple “3 steps to inspect.” A professional vehicle inspector from DataScan will be assigned to perform the comprehensive vehicle inspection. In addition to providing the inspection report and digital photos, the buyer is also provided an Experian AutoCheck® vehicle history report summary, which lists repair history and other information regarding past ownership.

To learn more about InspectMyRide, visit www.inspectmyride.com, call 877-917-3767 (1-877-91-REPORT) or e-mail help@inspectmyride.com.

In Paris, people will do whatever it takes to fit into a parking space. Ford of Europe took this as an opportunity to promote Active Park Assist, a Ford Technology that helps even the worst drivers park their cars effortlessly.

They installed a giant pinball over a free parking space and programmed the bumpers of the front and rear cars to react as pinball bumpers. The more the drivers hit the bumpers, the higher their score.

This is an incredibly funny (and sad) commercial that not only promotes Ford technology, but is quite entertaining to watch.

Car crashes are the no. 1 cause of teen deaths and the fast-approaching summer months prove to be the deadliest. In advance of National Youth Traffic Safety Month® in May, The Allstate Foundation and National Organizations for Youth Safety® (NOYS) are partnering with TV star and singer Victoria Justice to encourage young adults to Act Out Loud® for stronger teen driving laws.

Justice asks teens to visit Facebook.com/ActOutLoud to create an Act Out Loud Yearbook from now until May 6.

The 5-Star Safety Ratings System was created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to provide consumers with information about the crash protection and
rollover safety of new vehicles beyond what is required by statute. One star is the lowest rating, five stars is the highest. More stars equal safer cars.

This is a program that encourages manufacturers to voluntarily design safer vehicles by giving them safety ratings that can be used by consumers to compare vehicles when shopping for a new car.

Starting with 2011 models, NHTSA has introduced tougher tests and rigorous new 5-Star Safety Ratings that provide more information about vehicle safety and crash avoidance technologies. Because of the more stringent tests, ratings for 2011 and newer vehicles should not be compared to ratings for 1990-2010 models. Overall vehicle score and frontal crash ratings should ONLY be compared to other vehicles of similar size and weight.

• 1990-2010 5-Star Safety Ratings provide front crash, side crash, and rollover resistance ratings.
• 2011 and newer 5-Star Safety Ratings include an additional Overall Rating Score to make it easy to compare vehicles.

5-Star Safety Ratings can be found on SaferCar.gov and are posted on the Monroney labels (window stickers) that are required to be displayed on all new vehicles.

Here is a link to their website

http://www.safercar.gov/Safety+Ratings

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today unveiled survey analysis that reveals young people are the least likely passengers to say something to their driver if he or she were texting or talking on a cell phone. At the same time, Secretary LaHood also launched a new contest for students to design a social networking icon that will be used in DOT’s distracted driving campaign and encourage young drivers to speak up when riding with a distracted driver.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic on our roadways, and these new findings show that our youngest drivers are particularly at risk,” said Secretary LaHood. “We’re encouraging young people across America to commit to distraction-free driving, spread the word to their family and friends, and speak up if the driver in their car is distracted.”

Findings from the first nationally-representative telephone survey on driver distraction conducted by DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that younger drivers ages 18 to 20 years old report the highest level of phone involvement in crash or near-crash incidences. These young drivers are nearly three times as likely to report having been reading or sending a text or e-mail when such an incident occurred as compared to drivers age 25 and higher. In addition, drivers younger than 25 are two to three times more likely to drive while sending or reading a text message or email. Reports of texting while driving drop sharply as age increases.

The NHTSA survey polled more than 6,000 drivers to assess the public’s attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported behavior related to cell phones. When asked as passengers how they would feel about different situations, almost all respondents (about 90% overall) reported that they considered a driver who was sending or reading text messages or e-mails as very unsafe. However, it also found that younger passengers were less likely than older passengers to speak up. About one-third of young passengers 18 to 20 and 21 to 24 would say something to a driver who was talking on a handheld phone, whereas about half of drivers 65+ would speak up.

In order to raise awareness among young drivers about the dangers of texting and cell phone use behind the wheel, DOT’s new Distracted Driving Design Challenge invites teens to create an original icon with an anti-distracted driving message that can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other social networking sites. The icon can also serve as a helpful icebreaker for young drivers struggling to speak up to others about the dangers of distracted driving. The contest, which will accept submissions from April 16 through July 31, is open to students between the ages of 13 and 18 in the United States. The winning design will be selected by Secretary LaHood and a panel of DOT experts and incorporated into DOT’s distracted driving campaign.

The full survey analysis, “Young Drivers Report the Highest Level of Phone Involvement in Crash or Near-crash Incidences,” is available at NHTSA.gov.

Full contest and submission details for the Distracted Driving Design Challenge are available at Distraction.gov and Challenge.gov.

“Nissan’s commitment to driver and passenger safety is reflected in the ThinkFast program,” said Bob Yakushi, director of Product Safety, Nissan North America, Inc. “Nissan has a vision of eliminating teen accidents and fatalities by instilling safe driving habits in students before they get their driver’s licenses – just one of many safety education initiatives in place to help reduce the number of auto-related injuries and fatalities. This vision aligns with Nissan’s global Vision Zero, which aims to help reduce the number of accidents through the development of safety technologies, with a goal of ultimately reducing fatalities and serious injuries in Nissan vehicles to zero.”

Since 2006, GHSO has worked to decrease the number of teen vehicle fatalities and serious injuries through the ThinkFast program. Historically, GHSO has been able to offer ThinkFast to 35 to 40 counties in the state starting with those that have the highest fatalities among teen drivers. This year, with the support of Nissan North America, GHSO is able to add an additional 75 schools, bringing the total to more than 110 throughout Tennessee, allowing more teens to be educated on the risks associated with drunk or distracted driving.

“Our ultimate goal is to greatly reduce, and perhaps even eliminate, motor vehicle deaths throughout Tennessee,” said Kendell Poole, Director of Tennessee’s Governor’s Highway Safety Office. “Thanks to Nissan North America’s commitment to safety education, we’ve significantly increased our existing efforts. We’re excited to partner with a company that is equally passionate about the safety of our youth.”

Beginning in April, Tennessee students aged 12 to 18 will compete against their peers in the game-show-format contest. The program, complete with a full production set, mainstream music, an entertaining host, and informative and engaging trivia that appeals to teens, is designed to spread the messages of impaired driving prevention and awareness continuously and consistently.

A typical ThinkFast show is 75 to 90 minutes long and consists of two rounds, with 20 questions per round. The audience uses wireless remote controls to answer trivia questions on a variety of topics, including pop culture, movies, music, driver safety and distracted driving avoidance. ThinkFast aims to provide students with information that can facilitate healthy choices while offering an exciting educational experience that can extend to the real world.

Editor’s note: A video of the ThinkFast program is available here.