Don't Text & Drive and other driving safety initiatives
At Parkview Trauma Centers, we see the results of needless accidents all too frequently. Americans are driving distracted – by phone calls, text messages, snaps, selfies, music, meals on the go, talking with passengers and multitasking. Drivers are not focused behind the wheel, and they’re dying in accidents that could have been prevented.
We’ve made it our mission to equip drivers with a greater awareness of the consequences of their actions.
Distraction is a big problem
Driving isn't just about focusing on the road with your hands at 10 and 2. You can become visually, manually or cognitively distracted. A visual distraction means you take your eyes off the road. A manual distraction means you take your hands off the wheel. A cognitive distraction means you take your mind off driving (Traffic Safety Facts, 2013).
Preliminary National Safety Council (NSC) estimates show that 2016 may have been the deadliest year on the nation’s roads since 2007. As many as 40,000 people may have died as a result of motor vehicle crashes, while an estimated 4.6 million additional roadway users were seriously injured. This marks a 6% increase over 2015 and a 14% increase over 2014. (National Safety Council, 2020) On a typical day, more than 700 people are injured in distracted driving crashes.
Parkview is working to improve statistics through community outreach programs such as Don't Text & Drive, Teen Driver Safety, Share the Road and other initiatives.
Don’t Text & Drive
Our Don't Text & Drive program has become well known in many states and countries. Fort Wayne and other communities have embraced our campaign to get people to put down the mobile device while driving. Thousands of Americans have heard first-hand accounts from individuals who lost loved ones to texting behind the wheel, and they’ve taken the pledge not to text and drive.
In July 2020, Indiana’s new hands-free driving law went into effect, prohibiting motorists from holding or using a cell phone while driving. However, drivers with both hands on the wheel can still become visually, manually or cognitively distracted.
“At Parkview Trauma Centers, we see the results of distracted driving all too frequently,” said Lisa Hollister, director of trauma and acute surgery, Parkview Trauma Services. “For years you’ve heard us say ‘Don’t Text & Drive’ – take it a step further by not only keeping your hands on the wheel, but also keeping your eyes and mind on the road.”
Common distractions that lead to motor vehicle crashes:
- Cellphone use (talking, texting, taking photos, etc.)
- Eating or drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming (applying makeup, brushing hair, flossing, etc.)
- Using a PDA or navigation system (GPS)
- Watching videos
- Changing music (MP3 players, CDs, radio, etc.)
Avoid using your phone while your vehicle is in motion
- Put your phone on silent or out of sight to avoid the temptation of reading or responding to a message.
- Don’t pick up your phone, even when stopped at a red light or in traffic. Using your mobile device while in the driver seat puts you, and those around you, in danger. Remember while driving, the use of your cell phone without a hands-free device is breaking the law.
- Wait to use any device until you are safely and legally parked.
Parkview Trauma Centers hopes to reduce the countless number of tragedies involving cell phones with its Don't Text & Drive campaign. Our goal is to remind drivers across the region not to be distracted by texting behind the wheel. In addition, we’ve connected with a vibrant community through our Don’t Text & Drive page on Facebook.
Take the pledge to get home alive
Don't Text & Drive gear
Find cool Don't Text & Drive gear at our Parkview Safety Store, 1818 Carew St., Suite 140, Fort Wayne, Ind. Hours of operation are Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Call (260) 373-7201 for more information.
Teen driver safety
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among American teens. Statistics show that 11 percent of all drivers ages 15-19 involved in fatal crashes were reported as being distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest percentage of distracted drivers.
We are committed to reducing the number of teen drivers involved in car crashes. Programs like Don’t Text & Drive and Don’t Drink & Drive present information and strategies to help prepare teens for specific situations that cause distractions while driving.
Parkview encourages parents to engage young drivers by:
- Defining rules for driving
- Refreshing knowledge of safe driving habits
- Building teens’ awareness that friends’ risky driving behaviors put all of their passengers’ lives at risk
- Creating a driving contact between parents and new drivers
Parkview Trauma Centers has partnered with Evans Toyota to encourage parents to talk to their teens about safe driving. The Parent/Teen Driving Contract is a great way to engage your teens in safe-driving conversation. Additionally, Parkview offers Parent/Teen driving seminars. These free, thought-provoking events are always full of excellent information from the Indiana State Police. Teens and parents alike benefit. Contact Lauren.Quandt@parkview.com for more information.
Download the Parent/Teen Driving Contract
Don't Drink & Drive
Every injury and death caused by drunk driving is preventable. In order to reduce the number of deaths and severe, long-term disabilities from crashes due to drinking and driving, Parkview sponsors public service announcements and signage in key public venues. Classroom presentations and educational materials targeting teenage drivers also support the Don’t Drink & Drive message.
To schedule an educational presentation at your school or community organization, call (260) 266-1270.
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
More than half (52 percent) of Americans ages 12 and older report being current drinkers of alcohol. Twenty-seven percent report current use of a tobacco product. Nine percent report illicit drug use (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2013). Nurses treating patients in a variety of healthcare settings will encounter individuals who use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
How can Parkview providers detect abuse sooner?
Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a universal screening and prevention tool that is currently being implemented by Parkvew Health. An evidence-based practice, SBIRT targets individuals who use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, but are not yet dependent on those substances. Any level of drinking or drug use may complicate an individual’s health condition, work and family life (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS], 2013). SBIRT is an approach nurses can use to provide effective risk reduction and intervention prior to a patient’s need for more extensive treatment.