April is national Distracted Driving Awareness Month. It’s a very good moment to pause and think about your own habits as parents – or as any adult whose behind-the-wheel behavior may be seen and copied by young drivers. With help from our great major sponsors, State Farm and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, we’re doing our part here at the Humanity Project to encourage attentive driving. Our work this month includes talking with teens and parents at many community events. We’re even chatting with young kids who only ride in cars, encouraging them to urge their parents or other adults to pay attention when driving.
We’ve just delivered 350 copies of our awesome I Care teen driver safety book to a South Florida high school, each copy to be used by its young owner and then shared with three best friends. And both parents. That’s potentially 2100 people who will be learning safer driving from I Care in April at this one school alone. We’re also part of youth events such as an I Care scavenger hunt. And we’re giving away an iPad Mini and iTunes gift cards to students who use I Care books and pass a test to show they retained the anti-distracted driving lessons.
Of course, the Humanity Project works year round to teach safe driving to teens and parents. It’s one of our three major programs, including our acclaimed ant-bullying work and our unique website for socially isolated students – an online resource created by teens for their peers. Check out our Programs page for more info. And remember to mind your driving, please. You never know how many young drivers notice you checking email, texting or chatting away on the phone while you’re driving … and then decide, “Hey if they can do it, why can’t I?”
