Graphic video may crash and burn with teens who text while driving, expert says

Graphic video may crash and burn with teens who text while driving, expert says - Teens have been long desensitized to violent images, says National Safety Council official
By Jeff Long
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
September 2, 2009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-talk-teens-texting-and-drivisep02,0,3526724.story


The video of a bloody crash caused by a teenager paying more attention to a text message than to the road is tearing up the Internet with nearly 4.6 million views. But a local expert said such scare tactics have little impact on young drivers.

"It's probably not very effective in changing behavior," said David Teater of the Itasca-based National Safety Council. "It's probably very effective getting people's attention."

But many teens, he said, long have been desensitized to violent imagery. A better bet, he said, was to change the way they perceive dangerous driving behavior, to "make it socially bad."

Teater, who was at a driving safety conference in Georgia, said the graphic public service announcement was the talk of the gathering.

Produced for the Gwent Police Department in Wales, the 4-minute, fictional film shows a girl's head smashing through a window, glass flying. In another car, a baby stares blankly at a firefighter while his parents lay dead or unconscious in the front seat.

Michael LeVanti, who has taught driver's education at Schaumburg High School for seven years, says he would consider showing the video to his class -- if it was approved by administrators. An Illinois law that took effect last year makes it illegal for anyone under 19 to use a cell phone while driving.

Said LeVanti, "With the popularity of cell phones, it's really become a point of emphasis for us."

jjlong@tribune.com

The images above are from the popular video, which can be seen at chicagotribune.com/textanddrive