Ads focused on distracted drivers

We’ve all been guilty of it at some point, but using your cell phone while driving is clearly a dangerous distraction – especially texting.

Highway patrol and police say it’s tough to prove distracted driving as the cause of a crash because that would mean those involved in the accident would have to admit to the distraction.

AAA’s new ad campaign warns drivers of the dangers of using cell phones while behind the wheel, but some drivers say using their cell phone is a hard habit to break.

“I think a little bit of habit a little bit of convenience, I don’t know what I would have done without my cell phone ten years ago, I don’t know what I would have done without it,” said Wilmington resident Nicole Mitchell.

The advertisements can be seen at more than 50 gas stations in our state, eight of them in New Hanover County. According to AAA, New Hanover County is one of five counties in the state said to be the most prone for car accidents. Some drivers say a simple ad at a gas station won’t make people change.

“An ad campaign is not going to stop, you can have as many ads out as you want, you have to change the law,” said Charlotte Rosenberg from New York.

“I hope I would stop using my cell phone in the car, when I use it, it makes me nervous, and when I see other people using it, it makes me nervous,” Mitchell said.

Jesse Hudson of Wilmington said, “I still think I would do it anyways, and I don’t think my friends would stop. We have to talk on our cell phones, and texting, I’m addicted to text messaging.”

Cell phone usage proved dangerous this weekend when authorities confirmed 23 people dead after a commuter train crashed in Los Angeles. The conductor was said to be text messaging while at the controls.

A nationwide study shows eight out of ten drivers believe distracted driving is a serious problem. Fifty-three percent said they talked and drove in the past thirty days. Fourteen percent said they sent or read a text message while driving.

AAA said this new ad will be read a few million times, hopefully enough to convince drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

“Theres too much to see here, and you’ve got a lot of young drivers, a lot of elderly drivers, and the fact is, all you need is a little bit of distraction,” Rosenberg said.

The ad campaign was released the end of last week, so people should be seeing the ads up at gas stations in the area sometime this week.