Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Endorses Oprah's Campaign Against Texting, Phoning While Driving
Don't Tempt Fate: That Text Can Wait
January 22, 2010
Source: Char Luttrell
Job Title: Communications Specialist
Department: Communications
Phone: (800) 497-2688
Email: cluttrell@gshom.org
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, the high-capacity Girl Scout Council serving 34 counties in southwest, northeast and mid-Michigan, has joined Oprah Winfrey's campaign to end the dangerous practice of using cell phones and texting while driving, becoming the first of the nation's 109 Girl Scout councils to do so.
Jan Barker, CEO of Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, is requiring the council's 106 staff members to refrain from using cell phones or texting when driving on GSHOM business. GSHOM serves 25,000 girls in 34 counties in Michigan.
" We are taking this strong stand against distracted driving in all its forms, including cell phone use and texting while driving," said Barker, " so that our staff will set the best possible example for all Girl Scouts and Girl Scout volunteers and for the general public."
The University of Utah reports that drivers using cell phones were involved in auto accidents causing 6,000 deaths and nearly 500,000 injuries last year. Researchers at the University of Utah say that driving while phoning quadruples the driver's risk of having an accident. Texting while driving multiplies the risk eight-fold, which is equivalent to driving while intoxicated. Studies at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute showed that truck drivers were 23 times as likely to crash when texting and six times as likely to crash when dialing a cell phone.
GSHOM is partnering with law enforcement agencies in the council's 34-county service area to spread the word about distracted driving.
"The Jackson County Sheriff's Office fully supports Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan's efforts to curb distracted driving, " said Lt. Steven Rand. "Driving is challenging enough, especially for young drivers, without the additional distraction of text messaging. Increasingly, texting while driving is a contributing factor in traffic crashes. Even though we have computers in all of our patrol cars," said Rand, "we prohibit the use of them while the vehicle is in motion, except in the most extreme circumstances. This has been our policy for several years, realizing early on that attempting to type or communicate in this manner was potentially dangerous, even with highly trained professionals."
"The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is concerned about the safety of all drivers and passengers on our roadways. Therefore we encourage drivers, especially younger drivers, to refrain from utilizing cell phones or other hand -held technology while driving. Texting, in particular, creates a distraction which takes the mind, eyes, and at least one hand away from the focus on driving," said Jerry Clayton, Washtenaw County Sheriff. "The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is pleased to be able to lend our support to Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan's valuable efforts to save young lives and contribute to the safety of our roads."
"We support anything that has to do with safe driving, because one-hundred percent of your attention should be on the road, "said Officer James Lord, Crime Prevention Department, City of Portage Public Safety Department. "The number of crashes is greater as a result of the technology that is available and that can be used in an automobile. Texting is especially problematic because it takes up a lot of your concentration," said Officer Lord. "Using a mobile device is not illegal in Michigan as of yet, but there is legislation pending."
"Any policy that discourages people from talking and texting while driving is a great policy to have," said Captain Matt Sexton, Law Enforcement Division Commander for the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. "With today's fast pace and technology, many people are multi-tasking and it's not a good thing to multi-task while driving a 2,000-pound vehicle down the road. Texting especially causes great distraction when the driver looks away from the road repeatedly."
The second worst train collision in US history occurred in September of 2008 when a commuter train conductor in Los Angeles , sending and receiving more than 40 text messages, missed a red light and collided with a freight train, killing 25 people, including himself.
Oprah Winfrey featured the No Phone Zone pledge on her January 18 broadcast, which included interviews with family members of those who died in cell phone-related accidents. The No Phone Zone pledge, available at http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4, has gathered 47,288 signatures to-date.
Staying relevant to today’s girl, Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan is now on Facebook and Twitter in order to increase the efficiency of communication with girls, volunteers, and the community at large. Additionally, the launch of a new and improved Web site http://www.gshom.org, planned for March 8, 2010 will further reinforce Girl Scouts of the USA’s (GSUSA’s) partnership with Microsoft to teach girls how to be safe when using various technology. “LMK” (Let Me Know) http://lmk.girlscouts.org includes mobile device safety tips, quizzes, newsletters and more for both girls and adults.
