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'Death by Cell Phone' Ad Campaign Launches in Florida

by Caleb Johnson on July 9, 2009 at 09:21 AM


Everyday, people drive with their ears stuck to cell phones or their eyes glancing between text messages and the road. Most never even give their DWT (driving while texting/talking) a second thought. The team behind a new ad campaign hopes to change that.

The not-for-profit National Safety Council just launched a Florida billboard campaign called 'Death by Cell Phone.' According to Fort Myers-based News-Press.com, the billboards (pictured above) feature images of a 61-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy, both of whom died in accidents caused by drivers on cell phones. Eventually, the campaign will span 67 markets in 37 states. The NSC says that people who are chatting on cell phones are four times more likely to crash than those who aren't. According to the organization, such DWTs cause 636,000 accidents and 2,600 deaths every year. The NSC hopes the billboards, which will be seen by about 56,000 folks each day in Florida alone, will encourage drivers to put down the phones and focus on the road.

While these cautionary billboards aren't as bold (or as bloody) as the ones in New Zealand, we do think they should be able to get the point across. Let's just hope that no drivers, immediately moved by the billboard's urging to "watch their stories," decide to fire up their iPhones behind the wheel. [From: News-Press.com]

Tags: cell phone, CellPhone, death, driving, driving while talking, driving while texting, DrivingWhileTalking, DrivingWhileTexting, dwt, national safety council, NationalSafetyCouncil, texting, top

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