EDMONTON – Your crotch could be lethal. That’s the message behind an edgy new campaign that hopes to curb the dangerous habit of texting and driving through a series of tongue in cheek ads.
Donna Babchishin with Alberta Transportation, which is behind the “Crotches Kill” campaign, explains that younger drivers – especially males – have been found to be the most frequent offenders when it comes to this type of distracted driving.
So that’s the demographic the government’s ads are targeting.
One radio spot starts with the line: “Ah, there you go again; driving and being completely enthralled by your crotch. Quick glances, long stares.” The ad then changes gears, explaining “by the time you’ve sent that text message from your lap, your eyes are off the road for five very long seconds.”
“I think what people fail to realize,” says Lisa Sobchyshyn with the Edmonton Police Service, “is just having your attention away from the road for even a second or two is all it takes to find yourself in a very difficult situation. You really need to have your wits about you when you’re on the road.”
Despite the risks, and the $172 fine you can get slapped with for distracted driving, some motorists just can’t seem to put down their phones.
“I know it’s wrong, but I still do it all the time,” admits Nik Ganter. “A couple of times the phone’s fallen to my feet..but no collisions yet.”
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Al Racette claims he sees it all the time while out walking.
“I just about got run over a couple of times by them bozos who do that.”
While Sobchyshyn does find the amount of drivers who continue to engage in these practices to be discouraging, she says that as long as people continue to do it, people will also continue with their enforcement.
The government’s ‘Crotches Kill’ campaign has a slightly different approach, though.
“The ads were intended not to lecture people, they were intended to generate discussion,” says Babchishin, who adds they’re very pleased with the attention the campaign is getting. She also hopes people will “call each other out” when they see someone pulling out their phone while behind the wheel.
“Our ultimate goal is to save lives. And if we’re going to make a difference, we believe we have to get people’s attentions and we have to make them think about these behaviours, and hopefully change them.”
Some stats:
– Cell phones are one of the most common distractions for drivers. Drivers engaged in text messaging on a cellular phone are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash event compared with non-distracted drivers. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2010)
– International research shows that 20 percent to 30 percent of all collisions involve driver distraction (Alberta Transportation, 2011)
Some tips to keep yourself from texting and driving:
– Put your phones out of reach.
– Turn your phone off or set it to airplane mode
– Ask a passenger to be your designated texter.
– Answer your texts after you park.
With files from Shane Jones, Global News
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