Would you show your teen this bloody texting/driving PSA?
A new very violent, very graphic PSA against texting while driving is creating a buzz on the Internet.
The PSA was created in Great Britain and shows very graphically what could happen if teens are driving and texting. It shows teen girls texting and then crashing into a car. And it only gets worse from there. The girls’ car is hit by another car and then other cars fatally crash into the ones behind them.
I have to warn you before you watch this, it is VERY UPSETTING! I literally felt like I was going to throw up after watching it. They even show a baby dead. (I personally wouldn’t watch it if I were pregnant or just had a baby – it’s that upsetting!)
Kansas City.Com reports that the clip that landed on You Tube is part of a 30-minute video that was made to be shown to students in South Wales.
Another big point I think this video illustrates is wear your darn seatbelt — even in the back seat!
So my questions are:
A. What do you think of the video? Is it too violent? Is it too graphic? Do we need to see the dead baby?
B. Would you show this clip to your teen?
C. Do you think it would make them think before driving and texting?
D. Would you be OK with a school showing it to your teen? (I would think you would have to sign a permission slip for them to show this at school.) We did watch a D.A.R.E. or MADD movie in high school about drunk driving. I remember it being pretty scary, but I don’t remember it being this graphic.
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115 comments Add your comment
KYLE
August 28th, 2009
9:24 am
Not only would i show it to my teens!!!
I would show it to every adult driver also.
sh
August 28th, 2009
12:18 pm
A. I think that the video was well done and gets the point across well. Honestly, it’s not nearly as graphic as actual traffic accidents that I’ve been at, so I don’t think that the scene with the baby is overboard; if anything, it’s necessary. Kids nowadays are watching horror movies and cable TV shows that are FAR more graphic than this.
B. All of my teens will see this before they sit behind a steering wheel.
C. With my kids, I think that it would make them stand up and take notice. Unfortunately, I think that a lot of kids won’t think twice because they’re too desensitized to violence.
D. I would definitely be okay with this being shown at school. I think that Health and Driver’s Ed classes would be great places for this.
jack kowalski
August 28th, 2009
3:00 pm
Every car crash is totally unique, preventable and deplorable. This film is graphic and is a must for all drivers young and old. For 3 years now I have been promoting the common sense idea of wearing safety helmets in cars. Here are my 3 steps for safe driving: Always buckle your seat belt, wear a light, tight safety helmet and reduce your speed 10KM from the maximum allowed. Obviously drinking, texting or other dangerous acts are not part of this program. Visit http://www.drivingwithoutdying.com for all the details.
Margaret
August 28th, 2009
4:56 pm
Yes, I will show this to my kids. Mine are a few years from driving, but hopefully they will see that there are real consequences to their actions. It is one thing for a parent to say, don’t do it, it is quite another to see what could happen if they text while driving.
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August 28th, 2009
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rosie
August 29th, 2009
11:23 pm
Im 15 myself, I just saw them talking about this video on the news so I decided to look it up. I NEVER thought of texting and driving. And so I only watched it to see how the video was just so horrible, I really wish I hadnt wanted to watch this video so bad. I literally feel sick to my stomach now. It was gross and totally graphic. Yeah, I know that can actually happen and its sad but this video makes me feel sick, it makes me scared to get in a car at all. It might scare other teens not to text and drive but what about the ones that arent scared, we (people who dont text and drive) still have to drive on the road with people who do text and drive. Just because teens dont text and drive doesnt mean adults dont do it, they do. No matter what the road is going to be a scary place and people are going to do things they shouldnt and as a result of some people doing it that puts everyone in harms way, texting or not, things happen.
Angie
August 30th, 2009
7:14 pm
Just showed my two teenagers and one of their friends. I think that it is extremely important to show as many people as we can – this is reality. Teenagers worlds are filled with realism and this is what they understand. I think this is what will reach them. Great job!
What is love?
August 30th, 2009
10:27 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AYWhGJaFgU
Rena
September 1st, 2009
7:48 pm
I think every teen should see this even the baby just to show you what can happen and that your actions have concencuensions.Yes as a mother of two girls i would show them this.I hope it would make anybody think twice about texting while driving not just teens but adults also they text too. if schools do decide to show this they should let the parents see it first and maby do a workshop with the parents involved to get the point out to everybody parents and teens,just everybody .
SinInSpira
September 13th, 2009
12:44 am
Why is everyone so convinced that all teenagers are pretty much retarded? I mean, I’m 17 and I know some pretty stupid people my age, but quite frankly it annoys the hell out of me when I’m automatically classified as a “dumb teenager.” It just seems like most people older than me tend to think that I can’t form a coherant thought or think anything through. For instance, my mom told me today that when I get my phone back (it’s not behavior related – the job availability for teens is at it’s lowest right now, so I was without a job for a few months and couldn’t pay my phone bill.) she’s blocking the texting on my plan just because I “might try to text and drive.” I mean, really, come on now, I won’t text and drive, I’m not freaking retarded. She, however, seems to think otherwise. But whatever. About the video:
The video does nothing for me. In fact, it’s so overly-dramatic and unbelievable that it may have the opposite intended effect on some drivers. For instance, the girl looks down at her phone for WAY too long. A lot of people I know (not necessarily the stupid ones :P) can text with hardly a glance at their phone. They can also text about as fast, if not faster, than a person with a keyboard phone. I’m not really defending texting while driving, but just some of the stuff in the video is a bit too overly dramatic. Idk, I just know that I don’t do it and people who do better be as good as they think they are at it.
Kristie
September 21st, 2009
10:15 am
I think they should play this to all that drive or about to start driving It will make you stop and think about what your about to do Play it and just keep playing it as many times as it will take ,, In America they try to sugar coat stuff give them something like this don’t tell people to block the images they need to see what will happen ……
Cory
September 29th, 2009
10:05 am
Enter your comments here
Where is the video? It is not coming up on my computer.
mkt
October 5th, 2009
8:35 pm
Not only do I want my teenager to see it, I posted it to my blog on Facebook for all my friends and family to see.
Alec
October 12th, 2009
5:24 am
I would definitely show this to other teens, i found it very enlightening, but i do wish it was a bit more realistic with the second car… most people will hit their brakes right away when they see a crash, they’re not going to cruise right into the hit car to cause more damage……. and yes, the dead baby is probably necessary the point is to be the equivalent to a slap in the face
Kimm
January 18th, 2010
10:14 pm
I think it should be shown in schools all over. Even though it seems a little graphic to some, it is a touch of what the reality of such a situation could be. In real life, it would be so much worse than portrayed. The fact of the different people that could be possilby be involved in such a situation I feel was a great touch in the video. There was the parents, the baby, a little girl who possibly lost all of them due to someones poor choice of texting while driving makes you think as well as breaks your heart. I didnt find this extremely graphic myself, but I feel it may be enough to get the point across to adults as well as teens. Unfortunately, I have seen many adults drivers texting while driving, it isn’t just a teen problem. With all the other things in out T.V world today that slides by the censors, why not put this out there for ALL to see?..I feel it’s a must. You can tell people all you want but actually seeing something gets the point across much faster and much better. You watch this and take with you how one mistake can change the lives of so many innocent people in just one second, and this wreck……..could have totally been avoided by making the right choice…..