Schools
Graphic Distracted Driving Crash Video Honors Macomb Teen
A new, realistic video of the dangers of distracted driving was released by the Traffic Improvement Association of Michigan and produced by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The video is part of a campaign named after a Romeo High School teen.
The Traffic Improvement Association has partnered with the Michigan Department of Transportation to release a graphic and realistic driver safety video and public service announcement to detail the dangers of distracted driving.
The video depicts a fatal car accident caused by distracted driving involving teens.
Some of the teens in the cars have open wounds with blood dripping down their faces and arms. They are seen being removed from the cars by emergency personnel. A driver of one of the cars is pronounced dead on the scene.
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"Distracted driving is a serious, life-threatening behavior that steals loved ones from us and puts innocent drivers in danger every time they hit the road," said Jim Santilli, executive director of TIA.
The "Remembering Ally: Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign" was named in memory of Ally Zimmerman, a 16-year-old Romeo High School student, who was hit by a distracted driver on December 28, 2010. She later died from her injuries.
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“We must continue to educate our young drivers even after they receive their operator’s license,” said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham, in a release. “Through education and peer support, we can produce safer drivers for Michigan, and ensure that we protect the future of tomorrow.”
The St. Clair Shores Police and Macomb County Sheriff's Office are joining more than 20 law enforcement agencies who are participating in the campaign, in addition to numerous high school and college students, concerned citizens and businesses, and members of Ally's family.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and an estimated 448,000 were injured in 2009. That is 16 percent of all fatal crashes and 20 percent of all injury crashes for that year.
“Drivers who use a hand-held device are four times more likely to get into a crash serious enough to cause injury,” said Michael Witter, regional administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a release. “Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash.”
The new video, and PSA, can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/tiamichigan.
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