This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Automakers join orthopedic surgeons to end distracted driving
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers has joined the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Orthopaedic Trauma Association in a national public education campaign on the dangers of texting while driving.
The partnership’s efforts include placing American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) signs — depicting the OMG: Get the Message campaign — in thousands of physician waiting rooms nationwide and in large-scale advertisements on more than 50 buses in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
OMG: Get the message
The OMG: Get the Message campaign includes patient education materials such as postcards and posters, as well as airport advertising and billboards in hundreds of locations throughout the country. AAOS and OTA have set up websites with more information, and the partnership will also include social media initiatives and a radio advertising campaign.
|
|
“We see life-changing injuries from distracted driving-related crashes every day,” AAOS President John J. Callaghan, MD, stated in a press release. “We want people to know that that call, e-mail or text simply isn’t worth the risk. Every driver believes he or she is immune to slip-ups, but the shocking statistics prove that’s not the case. Orthopedic surgeons want to prevent the pain, suffering and devastating injuries associated with texting-and-driving crashes.”
Eyes on the road
A 100-car naturalistic study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that the odds of a crash or near-miss more than doubled when a driver’s eyes were focused away from the road for more than 2 seconds.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers guidelines specify that car-mounted displays must be positioned high enough in the vehicle so that drivers can continue seeing the roadway with their peripheral vision, even while glancing at the display. They also limit the amount of visual and manual demand that any particular task can impose upon a driver.
The AAOS/OTA/Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers partnership will also continue to deliver their message through one-on-one conversations between physicians and patients.
References:
- www.aaos.org
- www.ota.org
- www.autoalliance.org
Follow ORTHOSuperSite.com
on Twitter