4 Anti-Texting and Driving Campaigns You Should Know About

We all love the way that cell phones have evolved in the last decade. Nowadays, just about everyone is able to carry their own computer around with them wherever they go. However, this increased cell phone use has led to an increase in car accidents as a result of texting and driving. Texting while driving is incredibly dangerous; at best it will land you in online traffic school, and at worst it could land you in a cemetery. Taking that into consideration, those whose job it is to create a campaign against texting and driving naturally have a lot of material to draw from. Here are some of the most successful texting and driving campaigns.

1. “Cow” by Tredegar Comprehensive School and Gwent Police (UK)

A lot of people know that they are not supposed to text and drive, but continue to do so as they are not completely aware of the real-life consequences of their actions. Some of the best PSA videos are the ones that help people face those consequences. One of the most powerful examples of this is the PSA film entitled “Cow,” by a police force and comprehensive school in the United Kingdom. The PSA is a 30-minute film, in which a girl causes a devastating accident which results in the deaths of four people. As a result, her life falls apart. The trailer for this film went viral on YouTube, and it has received international attention, including multiple advertising awards.

2. “It Can Wait” by AT&T (USA)

This campaign is a recent one that has sought to reach out to the younger generation, asking them to “take the pledge” not to text and drive. The main premise of the campaign is that no text is important enough to risk the life of yourself or others. It is accompanied by a series of videos, broadcast on national television as well as on YouTube, where family members of seriously injured or dead victims of texting and driving share the last text of the deceased. They are accompanied by the phrase “no text is worth dying over.” A number of high profile celebrities have also put their backing behind this campaign, and it has had–and continues to have–immense success online.

3. Project Yellow Light by the US Department of Transportation (USA)

Sometimes you need to step back from emotions and just take a look at the cold, hard facts. The US government has created a website dedicated to the cause of fighting against texting and driving, and has quickly made itself an authority for anyone looking for relevant statistics. If you ever want concrete evidence behind the dangers of texting and driving, this is the place to go. And as the facts will show, the government’s backing has made all the difference.

4. “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA)

An extension of distraction.gov, this is an active campaign that has been put together by a few branches of the US government. Their main tactic is to spell everything out as simply as possible for the general public. Using clear facts, they illustrate exactly what sort of dangers that you are putting yourself in when you text and drive. Accompanying this is an online video campaign, in partnership with the Ad Council, that contrasts the everyday perils of not paying attention while walking, with the real danger of texting and driving. These videos have received hundreds of thousands of views online.