South African PSA warns of texting and driving dangers in shocking twist

A disarming public service announcement video from the Western Cape government in South Africa is warning against the dangers of texting and driving.

In a humorous montage accompanied by slapstick music, the PSA begins with bumbling pedestrians who are too preoccupied with their phones to notice obstacles such as lamp posts or ponds in their way.

Then it asks viewers, “You can’t even text and walk, so why do you text and drive?” as it depicts a young driver checking her phone before getting T-boned and knocked unconscious.

The Western Cape government released the PSA as a part of its #ItCanWait campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

According to a Carnegie Mellon study, brain activity associated with driving decreases by 37 per cent when we are talking on the phone.

The National Safety Council’s latest data from 2015 estimates that 27 per cent of all crashes in the U.S. involve cellphone use. In Canada, the Canada Safety Council estimates that approximately 25 per cent of all collisions in 2013 were related to driver distraction.