Texting While Driving Hits Kentucky
The Texting While Driving Tour with AT&T hit Kentucky in late August and had a very successful event. It was event covered in the Madison Courier by their staff writer Renee Bruck.
8/25/2012 9:00:00 AM
Did They Get The Message?
A simulated scenario allowed juniors and seniors at a local high school to see how dangerous it is to text while driving.
Trimble County High School hosted a distracted driving assembly Friday where state and community leaders warned teens of the dangers when texting or using a cell phone while driving. Presenters also told teens of the consequences of texting and driving – from debilitating injuries to possible jail time.
State Representative Rick Rand presented statistics to the students about the dangers of texting and driving. Drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident, he said.
“The leading cause of death for young people is an automobile accident,” Rand said.
Kentucky legislators addressed the issue by passing laws that took effect in January 2011 allowing fines to be issued if a driver is caught by law enforcement texting while driving. Legislators also passed measures restricting teens under the age of 18 from talking on a cell phone while driving a vehicle.
“Texting and driving is a serious problem,” Rand said.
A car traveling 55 mph can travel an entire length of a football field in five seconds, Kentucky State Police trooper Brad Arterburn said during the presentation. Five seconds is the average amount of time a driver takes their eyes off of the road to read a text, he said.
Arterburn also related other instances where texting and driving led to accidents that caused life-long injuries or scarring from burns received in accidents.
One Kentucky resident faces two years in jail after a conviction of texting while driving. The 17-year-old driver caused a head-on collision that resulted in a fatality because of sending text messages while behind the wheel, he said.
Vicky Rand of Rand Insurance also encouraged students under the age of 16 to ask drivers they are riding with to use safe practices when driving as well and discourage cell phone use.
Juniors and seniors were able to participate in a virtual driving experience through a safe driving program presented by AT&T in the high school’s parking lot after the assembly. The activity allowed students to see how taking a driver’s attention away from the road for just a few seconds could cause injury to others or to themselves because of an accident.






