For decades, Americans have been advised of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances, but for the last eight years, an organization has also been cautioning against another danger on the road. Families Against Distractive Driving (FADD) was started in Mountain Home as a way of attempting to prevent drivers from using their cellphones and other electronic devices while behind the wheel.
FADD President Michele Paden was a recent guest of the Talk of the Town on KTLO-FM, and she says she co-founded the organization after an August 2013 incident in Magnolia affected her family.
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While Pyle did survive the crash, others have not been as fortunate. Everyday, more than nine people are killed in the United States, and nearly 1,200 are injured in crashes reported to involve a distracted driver.
Texting and talking on a phone while driving can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving. It takes attention away from what is happening around a driver and can cause devastating accidents that can not only harm the driver but also other innocent people.
Paden urges drivers needing to talk on the phone to use a hands-free device or find a location to pull over.
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Nearly half of all U.S. high school students ages 16-and-older have admitted to texting or emailing while driving, and nearly one in five crashes with injuries involved distractive driving. However, the trend of distractive driving is not limited to the younger generations. A 2011 survey of individuals ages 18-to-64 over a 30-day period showed nearly 70% said they had talked on the phone while driving, and a similar study showed 31% admitted to texting while driving.
Paden says parents will often warn their children of the dangers of distractive driving, but sometimes, the tables need to be turned.
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FADD’s website has a link for visitors to click on to take a pledge to not drive distracted. To learn more or to sign the pledge, visit familiesagainstdistractivedriving.org.
This month, Our Community Cares, sponsored by Farmers and Merchants Bank and KTLO, Classic Hits and The Boot, recognizes FADD’S efforts to stop distractive driving. Learn more at ktlo.com/ourcommunitycares.
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