Skip to main content
Eleven News

Distracted Driving

It's a serious issue that we all encounter on the road. You look over to the car next to you and the driver is texting. But what are communities doing to keep the roads safe? The Springville Police Department is taking steps to stop distracted driving.

'There was a girl driving down the road at night and she was texting. She took her parents car and drove up onto a bunch of landscaping rocks in a guy’s front yard and high centered it and totaled the car,” said Lt. Dave Caron of the Springville Police Department.

But with cell phones everywhere, including the driver's seat, the number of distracted driving accidents has skyrocketed. From texting or talking, many simply aren't paying attention to the roads. Non-profit organizations are creating public service announcements like the 'Stop texts, stop wrecks' campaign, asking teens to not text and drive. The ads show teens texting behind the wheel and the accident waiting to happen.

One idea that many teenagers have come up with is to have a designated texter: someone who controls the radio, satellite navigation, and the phone, so the driver can focus on driving.

The police are even asking for your help. If you see someone who is driving distracted and is going to cause an accident, you can call 911. However, Lt. Caron warns not to become a distracted driver yourself while turning someone else in.

http://stoptextsstopwrecks.org/#home