HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - "Don't text and drive" is the message from a 5th grade robotics class hoping to encourage drivers to turn off their cell phone before getting behind the wheel.
Using a cell phone while driving quadruples the risk of having an accident, and 35 percent of drivers polled say they feel unsafe on the roads because of others using their cell phones.
A group of kids not quite ready to hit the road said it's time drivers take responsibility.
The 5th graders from Jones Valley Elementary School's Wise Drive Robotics Class asked Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle to sign a petition to make drivers aware of cell phone dangers.
"Americans need to acknowledge that text messaging and cell phone use is unsafe," said robotics sponsor Kristy Dunn.
Dunn said her students chose the topic of cell phone dangers after hearing of bad accidents involving their use on the road. She said she hopes this campaign will set a good example.
"I've got a 13-year-old he's texting all the time," she said. "I don't want him to be 16 and think it's okay to text while he's driving. It's just too dangerous."
Dunn's students have spent countless hours researching the statistics, even partnering with a company in Canada that has come up with a device that will actually stop a cell phone from working in a driver's hands.
"It acts like a cell phone tower," said Jones valley student William Joiner. "It says to cell signals, 'Come to me,' and it blocks it."
That lessens the chances of being involved in a serious accident. Wyatt Dunn isn't old enough to drive, but he sees the dangers he'll face soon.
"Your talking on the cell phone, parent isn't noticing [other motorists] and you are like, 'Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk,'" he said. "You have the same reaction time as a 70-year-old."
Two students will attend Thursday's Alabama Distracted Driving Summit. They'll take with them the mayor's proclamation and research in hopes legislators will consider changing cell phone laws in Alabama.
No comments:
Post a Comment