EndDD.org (End Distracted Driving) Student Awareness Initiative
CHICAGO (November 1, 2016) – Patrick A. Salvi II of the Illinois law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., is concerned about the epidemic of distracted driving crashes involving teens.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, with fatality rates nearly three times that of any other age group. Distraction is now believed to contribute to more than 50% of teen crashes. Distracted driving crashes are now unfortunately a growing part of Mr. Salvi’s practice, but working together we can stop these senseless tragedies. That is why Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., is offering local schools a distracted driving educational program that has been recognized by traffic safety experts as one of the most effective for teens.
The program is available without cost to schools as part of a nationwide campaign in partnership with End Distracted Driving (EndDD.org) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). The program was developed by Joel Feldman, an attorney in Philadelphia, after his 21-year-old daughter, Casey, was killed by a distracted driver. With the help of teen safety experts at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a PowerPoint presentation was developed which is interactive, science-based, and contains a mix of humorous videos and role play exercises to engage teens. There are no bloody or graphic videos and the speakers do not lecture teens, but talk in a respectful manner to seek their ideas to help to curb this epidemic. The speakers freely acknowledge that they have driven while distracted and are working to change the driving culture in our country so that distracted driving will no longer be acceptable. This program has reached more than 300,000 and is continually updated based on student and teacher feedback and the most recent research. Presentations have been coordinated with SADD, FBLA, FCCLA chapters and other organizations.
This Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report describes the program in detail. Here is a reference letter from a principal of a high school which has hosted the program for the last several years.
The presentation can be given in classrooms, during health/physical education sessions, or assemblies and is adaptable to your time demands from 40-75 minutes.
To schedule a presentation with your school, contact Marcie Mangan, Public Relations Manager at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., at (312) 372-1227 or mmangan@salvilaw.com.
