Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Teams Up With the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Ad Council to "Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks."

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the beginning of the summer driving season—which is twice as deadly as the rest of the year combined—the nation's top highway safety agency is expanding its anti-texting campaign on billboards and bus shelters ("Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.").

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130501/DC05747)

More than 1,000 billboards and bus shelters will display anti-texting messages, along with public service posters in airports, phone kiosks and newsstands. According to NHTSA, drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

"Texting behind the wheel is a dangerous practice that can have devastating consequences on our nation's roadways," said David Strickland, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "The campaign is aimed at urging drivers, teens in particular, to stay focused every time they get behind the wheel. Stop the texts. Stop the wrecks."

Strickland announced the public service effort with agency partners the Ad Council and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). Members of the OAAA will donate space to the campaign throughout the month of May, which is Global Youth Traffic Safety Month.

"We are proud to have worked with NHTSA since 1983 to reduce impaired driving. From iconic taglines like 'Drinking and Driving Can Kill A Friendship,' and 'Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk' we have produced strong messages and activated a wide media network to make a real difference," said Ad Council President & CEO Peggy Conlon.

The "Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks" campaign launched in October 2011 in response to the growing number of fatalities caused by distracted driving. According to a national survey conducted by the Ad Council (June 2012), young adult drivers have absorbed several key messages since the launch of the campaign:

• 51% of young adult drivers report that they are "extremely concerned" about their peers texting while driving, which represents an increase of seven percent since September 2011.
• 34% percent of respondents said that they never text while driving, a significant increase from 28% percent in 2011. 

Ways to Get Involved in the Campaign

• Follow the campaign's Facebook (facebook.com/stopthetexts) and Twitter (twitter.com/stopthetexts) pages to learn more about the issue of distracted driving.
• Visit the campaign's Tumblr page (stopthetexts.tumblr.com) to write an open letter to young adults asking them to not text while driving.
• Visit the Stop the Texts toolkit (stopthetexts.adcouncil.org) to spread the campaign messages even further.

VIEW ANTI-TEXTING CREATIVE AT ADCOUNCIL.ORG/OUTDOOR

About OAAA
OAAA is the national trade association for the out of home (OOH) advertising industry. Founded in 1891, the association represents more than 90 percent of the US industry based on revenues. OAAA is dedicated to leading and uniting a responsible OOH industry committed to serving advertisers, consumers, and communities. The OOH industry generates $6.7 billion annually in ad revenues and donates more than $450 million in space each year. For more information, please visit oaaa.org.

About NHTSA
For more than four decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has served as the key federal agency charged with improving safety on our nation's roadways. As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA is working to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries by promoting the use of safety belts and child safety seats; helping states and local communities address the threat of drunk drivers; regulating safety standards and investigating safety defects in motor vehicles; establishing and enforcing fuel economy standards; conducting research on driver behavior and traffic safety; and providing consumer information on issues ranging from child passenger safety to impaired driving. For more information visit www.nhtsa.gov.

About The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. For more information, please visit adcouncil.org. You can also visit facebook.com/adcouncil or follow the Ad Council on Twitter @AdCouncil.

Contacts

Outdoor Advertising Association of America, Nicole Hayes, [email protected], 202-833-5566
Ad Council, Lisa Cullen, 202-331-5052, [email protected] 
NHTSA, Karen Aldana, 202-366-9550, [email protected]

SOURCE Outdoor Advertising Association of America

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