Graphic PSA Uses Scare Tactic With Teens
Brits try to stop texting while driving
By MEGAN MCGRATH
Updated 9:43 PM EDT, Tue, Aug 25, 2009
Lots of blood. Lots of screaming. And death.
That's what a British public service announcement shows with hopes of getting teens to stop texting while driving.
The video is making the rounds on the internet, and some wonder if it could help teen drivers in this country. Watch it here (Warning: graphic content):
The PSA was produced for the Gwent Police Department and is part of a larger 30-minute drama produced and directed by former BBC TV producer Peter Watkins-Hughes.
It begins with a car full of teenage girls driving down the road. The driver begins to text behind the wheel and crosses the center line, hitting another car head on.
The video leaves nothing to the imagination and very realistically shows what happens to people who are involved in a violent collision. In the PSA, the driver lives and four others die.
The video is currently posted on YouTube and is intended to scare British teens straight. Some wonder if young drivers in this country could also benefit from seeing the graphic video, or if the violence is just too much.
NBC News showed the PSA to Debbie Hersman, chairwoman of the NTSB. Although very graphic, Hersman said it really drives home the dangers of texting and driving.
Thoughts on the video? Will it make you think twice about texting while driving? And do you think it will work on the target audience -- teens? Give your comments below...
First Published: Aug 25, 2009 6:26 AM EDT
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