In a telephone interview with Emily McKhann, we discussed the campaign that she and Cooper Munroe, both from TheMotherhood.com, have started. It is called Mom Sends The Msg. The purpose of this campaign is to keep the drivers mind on the wheel and not to become distracted by texting while driving.
The campaign started when Emily and Cooper where invited by the White House and the DOT to attend a Distracted Driving Summit. They created Mom Sends The Msg campaign the very next day, a result of what they had learned at the Summit, the impact it had on them, and the necessity to help spread the word of the dangers of texting while driving.
Texting while driving is not only a problem with adults. Teens watch adults and pick up on their behaviors. If an adult does something then it must be okay. Texting while driving is not okay. This is distracted driving and it is very dangerous. A young man, Reggie Shaw, found this out the hard way. He is in his early twenties today, but in 2006 he was texting while he was driving and caused an accident that killed two people. Those two people will never go home to their families again. Reggie Shaw's life will forever be changed; he was sentenced to jail time. The state, in which the accident occurred, Utah, now has a law in place against texting while driving as a result of this accident. Reggie Shaw also spoke at the Distracted Drivers Summit in 2009. This accident has bothered him ever since, and he dedicates his time to go around the country talking to others about why they should not text and drive.
You would not get in the car with someone who is drunk, then why get in the car with someone who is texting. Emily has mentioned that it would be perfectly acceptable to ask that the driver put down the phone and not text while driving. They could cause an accident.
There is an importance that has been put on spreading this message. President Obama has signed into law that no Federal employee is allowed to text while driving.
Emily and Cooper were invited by the producers of Oprah to help with a segment they were producing on distracted driving. Women who were profiled in Mom Sends The Msg were also on the show. Emily and Cooper can be seen in the audience.
Emily confided to me that "Oprah is amazing". Oprah talked with everyone in the audience after the show. Then she had people in the audience who had lost someone as a result of a distracted driving accident to stand up and talk a little bit about the person they had lost. Emily also remarked "There was not a dry eye in the house" by the end of that tribute to those who were lost, "It was incredibly moving". This segment will air on January 18, 2010.
Oprah is also starting a campaign to help stop distracted driving. This information will be available on her website.
WorkingMother.com has also taken a step to ask if companies have a distracted driver program set up at the workplace for employees in order to be listed in the Working Mother's Best Companies To Work At list.
There have also been many other moms who have taken the initiative to help spread the word about the dangers of distracted driving in their own communities. "Moms stepping up to the plate to take the initiative to speak about the campaign in their own PTA's", says Emily. The power of speech and strength in conversation is key to helping spread the word about the dangers of texting and distracted driving.
The United States Department of Transportation has a new website with information about the dangers of distracted driving and how we can help. Click here to view the website. Click here to read the advice on how parents can help.
Click here to download a Free Car Window Sign to Support the Mom Sends A Message Campaign.
You can find Emily on Facebook and Twitter: @EmilyMcKhann @TheMotherhood
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