1. By: Ernesto C. Rosana C. Jazmin O. Alan P.

2. The Proposal What problem, issue or policy do you propose to work on? ▫ We intend to bring awareness of the consequences about using any form of electronic device while driving might create. Describe the problem and its effect on people: ▫ Using electronic devices while driving diverts attention from the road creating possible fatal accidents, not only harming the driver and the passengers, but pedestrians and other drivers as well. What are the policy implications? ▫ Different laws have been passed in order to prevent any more fatalities, yet they have been taken for granted and so it continues to be a problem. What we will do as a group is create awareness throughout our community. Why do you want to work on this? What is your buy-in? ▫ To create a safer driving environment for ourselves as well as future generations to come. We will be lowering the risk of potential accidents we might get involuntarily be involved in.

3. Thinking it Through Problem: Despite the regulations against texting while driving, people still continue to engage in this risky behavior resulting in many accidents and deaths. Our Goal: We would like to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving and create a high school program where students are exposed to these dangers and hopefully thereby creating safer roads with less accidents and deaths.

4. Civic Action #1- Part One We surveyed seniors and juniors who are at a driving age to see how many of them drive while texting or know someone who does. Survey: DO YOU DRIVE? YES NO HAVE YOU EVER TETXED WHILE DRIVING? YES NO DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO TEXTS WHILE DRIVING? YES NO IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM TEXTING WHILE DRIVING?

5. Civic Action #1- Part 2 RESULTS: DO YOU DRIVE: 68/141 HAVE YOU EVER TETXED WHILE DRIVING? 28/68 (Admitted to ever having texted while driving). DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO TEXTS WHILE DRIVING? 124/141 *Most students knew people who have driven while texting showing that there is an alarming number of people texting while driving on the road. That means that although students might not drive yet or text while driving, they are still at risk of being in a car accident, as well as anyone else on the road.

6. Continue… IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM TEXTING WHILE DRIVING?: ▫“don’t think texting while driving is much of a problem,” ▫“increase awareness,” ▫“more enforcement,” ▫“create a law against texting while driving,” ▫“nothing, if people cared about their lives they wouldn’t text while driving,” ▫“it’s the person’s choice,” ▫“raise ticket fees,” ▫“jail time for those who text while driving,” The students responses show that: Most don’t know that texting while driving is against the law because they proposed creating a law. Many also feel that the fees for texting while driving are too weak and that better enforcement is needed, meaning that the recent California law is not an effective way to stop the problem. Also, students feel that in the end it is up to the driver, therefore awareness is needed to hopefully convince people that texting while driving is an accident waiting to happen since most people still have the misconception that texting while driving is not as bad as any other distraction.

7. Civic Action #2 We presented facts about texting while driving to students to increase awareness. We distributed about 100 posters throughout school and classrooms. A fact sheet from textresponsibly.org was also distributed to individual students.

8. 8 “textresponsibly.org” fact sheet Below is a mix of statistics gathered from a variety of sources. Please visit textresponsibly.org for links to information sources. The No.1 source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. (Virginia Tech/NHTSA) Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI); April, 2006) There is no difference in the cognitive distraction between hand-held and hands-free devices. (Simulator studies at the U. of Utah.) Distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver’s reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of.08 percent. (University of Utah) An August 2006 Teens Today survey showed that teens considered sending text messages via cell phones to be their biggest distraction. (August 2006 Teens Today survey conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety and Students Against Destructive Decisions)

9. Civic Action #3- Second Survey Which do you think is the most dangerous form of distraction? Putting on Make-up6 Eating0 Talking on the cell phone4 Texting13 Drunk Driving 31 Changing the radio station 1 TOTAL: 55 people *These results show that people believe that drunk driving is worse than other distractions, yet still acknowledge that texting while driving is dangerous. What they don’t know is that drunk driving is as bad as texting while driving. *Including one officer

10. Civic Action #4- The Simulation  We proposed to have a texting while driving simulation in our school by creating a petition for students to sign showing their interest in the program.  In a Vermont high school and one in North Carolina students were given the opportunity to go through an obstacle coarse texting as they drove a golf car. 1. They are tested driving without any distraction, and are timed by a DMV worker as well as seeing the number of mistakes they do. 2. They then travel the obstacle coarse once more while texting. This allows them to see how they make more mistakes as they text rather than simply driving through the obstacle coarse.  We proposed to have a texting while driving simulation in our school by creating a petition for students to sign showing their interest in the program.  In a Vermont high school and one in North Carolina students were given the opportunity to go through an obstacle coarse texting as they drove a golf car. 1. They are tested driving without any distraction, and are timed by a DMV worker as well as seeing the number of mistakes they do. 2. They then travel the obstacle coarse once more while texting. This allows them to see how they make more mistakes as they text rather than simply driving through the obstacle coarse.

11. Civic Action #5 The Video  We reenacted a car accident resulting in the death of a pedestrian due to texting while driving. This video we presented to our class, as well as other real life stories.

12. The Bill ¨California Senate Bill 1475 - New legislation has been introduced in California that would increase the fines for Text Messaging and Cell phone use while driving. On September 24th, 2008 the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed Senate Bill 28 (SB 28) in to law. ¨The new bill “Prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication.” ¨The new bill will impose a fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. ¨No violation points will be given as a result of the offense and there are exceptions for emergency personnel.

13. California All drivers under 18 are not allowed to use cell phones while driving and adult drivers must use a hands-free device. texting is prohibited for all drivers in the state. For using a cell phone while driving, there is a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 thereafter plus jurisdiction penalties and court costs. SB 1613 (Simitian) Chapter 290, Statutes of 2006, which took effect on July 1, 2008, makes it an infraction for any person to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, unless that telephone is designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving. By prohibiting a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication, this bill goes one step further. The Results: The highway patrol gave out 101,676 citations between July 1, 2008 and the end of May of the year 2008 after the law was passed.

14.  The average U.S. teen now sends or receives an average of 2,899 text messages per month.  Using a cell phone while driving causes the reaction time of an 18–25 year old to be reduced to that of a 65–74 year old.  It’s estimated that 330,000 people are injured every year because of cell phone use while driving.  48% of all teens age 12–17 say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.  At least 28% of all traffic crashes—or at least 1.6 million crashes each year—are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting.  The average U.S. teen now sends or receives an average of 2,899 text messages per month.  Using a cell phone while driving causes the reaction time of an 18–25 year old to be reduced to that of a 65–74 year old.  It’s estimated that 330,000 people are injured every year because of cell phone use while driving.  48% of all teens age 12–17 say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.  At least 28% of all traffic crashes—or at least 1.6 million crashes each year—are caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting.

16. State Laws Texting by drivers of any age is banned in California. Teens are prohibited from using any electronic devices. The new bill will impose a fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. As of April 2010, 25 states have banned text messaging for all drivers. They are; Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, plus D.C. and Guam.

17. Earman Machado 13 Passed away on Dec. 27, 2007 when a car driven by Craig P. Bigos, a 31 year-old father of four, was text messaging. He swerved onto the side of the street and struck the boy on his bike. Bigos has been charged with motor vehicle homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and driving without a license. Patrick Sims 17 Patrick was replying to a text message when he drifted into the bicycle lane and struck and killed cyclist Jim Price, 63. He was charged with careless driving resulting in death. Bailey Goodman 17 Baily was killed along with four of her fellow cheerleaders when she swerved into oncoming traffic, hit a tractor-trailer and her SUV burst into flames. Five days earlier, the five teenagers had graduated from high school. Two minutes before the crash was reported,her phone was used to send a text greeting to a friend.