Instead of relying on shocking, often very brief footage of how text-driving devastates lives, the AA Charitable Trust has taken a very different approach, producing a short drama to show the horrific consequences of using a mobile while driving.
We’re all used to watching quick public information commercials or clips about the dangers of text-driving, released to hopefully shock drivers out of dangerous driving habits. But as part of its own hard-hitting campaign, the AA Trust has made a 11-minute drama, Cadence, which offers genuine insights into the emotional and very real human consequences of driving distracted.
The film tells the story of a young music-making couple on the brink of success, whose lives are changed forever by a bad driving decision:
Cadence has also been produced to highlight the 35% hike in deaths on built-up roads in the past year with text-driving believed to be a contributing factor. While the Government intends to increase the penalties for using a mobile at the wheel to six penalty points and a £200 fine, the AA Trust believes it is vital to complement such a move by changing driver behaviour through more reflective projects such as its Cadence drama.
And the issue of text-driving needs to be urgently addressed according to the findings of a recent AA Trust poll that revealed:
**1-in-10 **young drivers (18-24 yrs) find it difficult to ignore a message or email alert on their phones while driving
**98% **said they had seen other drivers using handheld mobile phones when driving
**2 million **car passengers would do nothing if their driver used a handheld phone while driving.
“Despite horrific and tragic deaths caused by drivers distracted by phones, the problem is still rife. This epidemic of handheld mobile phone use while driving has already cost lives and drivers have demanded action. Our campaign aims to change attitudes.”
– Edmund King OBE, AA Charitable Trust director
The question is – what do you do if you’re in a car and the driver starts using their mobile? Do you tell them to stop – or ignore their actions? Let us know below.