No texting while Driving Campaign: Video Contest Winners Announced

[trymahjong]

It Can Wait, Houston - No Texting While Driving Campaign:
Video Contest Winners Announced

Mayor Annise Parker encourages all Houstonians not to text while driving. The City of Houston campaign, It Can Wait, Houston , was launched April 2, 2013, as a part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In conjunction with this effort, the Mayor's Youth Council held a video contest promoting the No Texting While Driving Campaign. 

 

A total of 11 videos were submitted by students from high schools all over the city.  The top three videos will be promoted through social media and Bellaire's winning submission will be used by the Houston Fire and Police Departments in safety presentations at area schools. 

 

Often youth think nothing can hurt them and that they are invincible.  That is why this contest was so important to Mayor.  The videos do an excellent job of depicting the dangers of texting and driving.  It is her hope that their messages will help convince their peers, as well as adults, to put the phone down while driving.  The Mayor reminds us that we all have to change our habits and refuse to put our own lives and the lives of others at risk.

 

Please take the time to view the winning videos:

 

.         Bellaire High School - First Place

 

.         Memorial High School - Second Place 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=180jR6qKZXA&feature=em-upload_owner

 

.         Kingwood High School - Third Place 

Those who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash.  In 2011, 13 percent of the over 3,000 traffic fatalities in Texas were due to texting while driving.  Research released by AT&T indicates that 43 percent of commuters admit to a "habit" of texting while driving, even though they are aware of the risks.  Take the no texting while driving pledge by visiting http://www.itcanwait.com/

It Can Wait, Houston is an extension of AT&T's national Texting and Driving-It Can Wait movement. The local effort is being guided by a task force consisting of representatives of law enforcement, government, education, corporate, medical, professional and faith-based organizations. The Mayor also urges Houstonians to get involved via Twitter and Facebook.  Use the hash tag #itcanwaithou. 

For any questions or comments, email mayor@houstontx.gov.

 

[jt16]

Often youth think nothing can hurt them and that they are invincible.  That is why this contest was so important to Mayor.  The videos do an excellent job of depicting the dangers of texting and driving.  It is her hope that their messages will help convince their peers, as well as adults, to put the phone down while driving.  The Mayor reminds us that we all have to change our habits and refuse to put our own lives and the lives of others at risk.

 

Unfortunately I see grown adults texting on I-10 every day on the way to/from work.  I wish they made a device I could put in my kids cars that disabled text function and only allowed phone calls to certain people and emergency numbers. 

[brijonmang]

Unfortunately I see grown adults texting on I-10 every day on the way to/from work.  I wish they made a device I could put in my kids cars that disabled text function and only allowed phone calls to certain people and emergency numbers. 

 

I honestly think I see more people using cellphones than not using them while driving these days.  I don't mean just taking a call but holding them up in front of their face or down in their lap trying to write a message or surf/facebook whatever.  It really pisses me off.  I think it's amazing there aren't more accidents from people driving while cell-phoning.  

[trymahjong]

I actually saw 2 cars get pulled  over during the 2 weeks  I was visiting, in New York-- You glance over and see someone holding their cell phone in front of their face at a stop light and the next thing you know the police have turned their lights on and pulled them over. I was driving  around Yonkers and Westchester. I guess NY is serious about this.

 

I wonder if Houston will make cell phone use illegal while driving.