"This powerful video being used as part of a new campaign at high schools in the United Kingdom to raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving. With the help of actors and special effects, the video graphically shows the crash and aftermath of what could happen when a driver is distracted."
The description was taken from the YouTube page for the video, which was produced by the Heddlu Gwent Police Force in the United Kingdom. Be prepared, the video is graphic.
AT the risk or appearing completely insensitive (it is a hypothetical situation, right?), I will point out:
Three people made driving mistakes in this video which resulted in the colission between three vehicles and deaths.
While this hypothetical incident begun as a result of the young driver being distracted by texting (something completley avoidable), the on-coming driver did have a chance to avoid the lane intrusion (not the legal onus though). And the driver in the car behind is completely at fault (morally and legally) for following too closely and not reacting in-time to an emergency situation up ahead.
I don't like the premise of "don't text = don't crash", the crash resulted from a lane departure, not from texting specifically.
From own experience:
It doesn't take a cellphone to cause lane departures in new drivers.
Turning your head not-in-line with the direction of travel can cause lane departure -
shoulder checking or simply looking at a car travelling next to you, or operating a manual window crank, or even checking a side mirror has caused me to depart from my lane in my first few weeks of driving.
Solution:
Aside from limiting your off-the-road-eye-time to a absolute minimum,
develop a habit of ensuring your hands are not moving the steering wheel when turning or tilting your head,
"listen" to the inner ear for the changes in the travel vector and look in the direction of travel as much as possible.
Reasons:
While I fully agree that texting and driving doesn't mix (just like reading, make up and setting navigation),
other factors do come in when behind-the-wheel that may cause similar distraction and danger but unlike texting are unavoidable:
Getting an eye lash stuck in your eye (sneezing, coughing, chocking on saliva) while driving can get very distracting and uncomfortable, yet a driver must remain in-control until they are able to safely pull over to deal with the nuisance.
What I really hate about all "these videos", especially this one:
These videos are shown in public schools "to show the dangers of texting", but really they are a scare tactic.
These videos are shown to people who don't drive. They do not have experience driving and don't have immediate understanding of whats involved. As such these videos generate unreasonable fear of driving.
Drivers who are unreasonably afraid tend to freeze up or steer straight when they should be turning or brake when they should be accelerating or inversely mix the accelerator for the brakes.
While there should be a reasonable amount of "realization of risk", fear has to be addressed and mitigated behind-the-wheel not developed and amplified. I would respond better to an open and honest video with less emotion and fake blood.
"Mommy, daddy, please wake up..." is the statement of this video, not "Exercise caution and reason while driving" as it should be.
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AT the risk or appearing