‘We’re losing the battle against distracted driving’

April 28, 2016 — The New York Times: “Over the last seven years, most states have banned texting by drivers, and public service campaigns have tried an array of tactics…to persuade people to put down their phones when they are behind the wheel….Jay Winsten, an associate dean and the director of the Center for Health Communication at Harvard’s School of Public Health, said, ‘We’re losing the battle against distracted driving.’ Dr. Winsten is developing a distracted-driving campaign based on designated-driver efforts that were ultimately backed by major television networks and promoted by presidents, sports leagues and corporations. He said the new campaign would urge drivers to be more attentive, rather than scold them for multitasking, and would encourage parents to set a better example for their children. The campaign, though still in development, has already garnered support from YouTube, which has agreed to recruit stars on the website to create original content involving the message. Dr. Winsten said he had also been in talks with AT&T, Nascar, a major automaker and potential Hollywood partners. Dr. Winsten said the new campaign could be a kind of carrot to encourage better behavior by drivers, but he added that a stick was also needed….’Right now, we have a reed, not a stick,’ Dr. Winsten said.”
Read The New York Times article by Matt Richtel