Will Bloody Texting PSA Get The Message To Teens?

Teens today need a wake up call. Enough coddling already. Their lives are at stake...and so are ours.

You cannot get it across to all teens, but if you can get just a few to buy into it then you have saved a life. Yes, they think they are bulletproof, but it does not remove our obligation to teach. Doing nothing is like handing the gun to the "bulletproof" teen.

I struggle with this every day. I am a health teacher in inner-city Detroit. It is a battle every day, but you cannot give up hope that teens won't learn. You must continue to educate.

I am an 18 year old driver and I'll admit that I text while I drive. I ALWAYS, however, make a point not text when I am on the highway or interstate. It's usually at a redlight or stop sign.

A lot of people think that teens don't or can't take stuff like this seriously but that is where you are mistaken. You would have to be seriously disturbed to think something like this is funny- regardless of your age. As I said, I don't text on the highway or faster roads and because of this video I honestly will be even more wary of this.

I agree that not all kids will remember this if they see it. However, people tend to remember things that trigger intense emotion. I know many teens that this clip would deeply affect. The brutality of the accident and the fact that they are my age really hit home. By the end of the clip I had a steady stream of tears flowing down my cheeks.

This video may be too intense for some people... but it will definitely leave an impact.

It is difficult to watch, however, it is realistic. I've been in the emergency field for over 30 years and it does look, sound, and impact lives like this. As the parent of 2 teens it has been the topic of many, many conversations in our home regarding driving and using a cell phone or music device. I pray for everyone to realize how quickly lives are lost.

why are people always upset when reality is displayed in a simple fashion? presented in a clear way. so that every person can understand. the people who made this ad are just trying to help you get it. the data clearly demonstrates that driving and using handheld devices occupies more of your brain and is more debilitating than driving drunk. google it if you don't believe me.

it's like the peta ad that speaks to obesity...the #1 killer in this country. and we should save the whales too!

or global warming, which will kill all of us within a very few short centuries. (or less)

or that there's 6 billion people on earth now. and we can't feed them. and were making more!

or, as over the weekend, when the parents of a 7 year old girl allow her and other folks to get so close to hurricane waves that she died. and on national news brian williams calls it a "rogue wave". as if large killer wave are unusual in a hurricane. nature was just doing what it always has. the parents weren't even mentioned as the responsible persons for their child's death. it was presented as if it was a freak of nature. and not as the usual and natural events of a storm. i hope the parents get charged, by the state of Maine, for the childs death. the police and park rangers did an outstanding job, but can not be everwhere.

come on people wake up. reality is staring you in the face. these natural and man made dangers are all around us.and they will kill you, your loved ones and the rest of us too.

Yes, I think anyone who drives should watch this. I don't want my children, Husband, any of my family or friends getting seriously hurt-damaged for life or killed, by some idiot texting. Even if it doesn't change everyone it's the ones that do get the message that counts. Atleast we can change some people...

You didn't watch the PSA clip from your own admission for "personal reasons". What gives us any indication your opinion on this clip won't affect teens perspective on texting while driving has any reinforcement?

If anything you admitting not watching this clip proves this is way too strong for you to handle and as an ADULT.

I watched this whole PSA clip, and I have to say it hits home. It gives you the blow-by-blow of an accident on girls who look like they can be from your own local high school.

This isn't some clip of a random girl texting followed by a blank screen and a random scene at a graveyard or hospital (which I would believe teens would find laughable, because it just heightens their idea of being "bulletproof" - those same teens are being put in a bubble where they never see realistic events play out like in this PSA).

It is unfortunate that this happens at all. I would also have to say that in my years of fire fighting, I have seen more damage done to life and property by teenagers than by drunk drivers. I must say that texting would be a teenager's equivilent to drunk driving. Distractions reduce your time to respond while intoxication reduces your response time.
This is a painful video, but it is the truth. Sometimes the truth is painful, but we have to find ways to cope. Would you rather your teen daughter or son see this video, or would you rahter them be responsible for what was just shown? Or, will you be the one to blame the other person for being on the correct side of the road?
Waking up on the wrong side of the bed is better than waking up dead.

I think they should show this in my state... actually in all the US. I don't care if it's an international commercial. I know people that have died in car accidents from driving and texting. 5 girls in Fairport a few years ago. I think we ALL need to be reminded that this happens, not just teens.

texting kills, and it should be shown to all children of driving age

hell yes, I think this is an effective PSA.

To the poster who compared this video to the stupid 'blood on the highway' movies we watched in driver's education, there is simply no comparison....

I think if this PSA reaches one teen who will then hesitate next time he gets a text while driving, or better yet another teen in a car who will ask the driver to stop texting, then the effort was worth it.

All I can say is I showed it to my 16 year old daughter, who's hand flew to her mouth as she sat and watched in stone silence through the entire video. It absolutely impacted her, without a doubt.

I have worked for almost 10 years as an Emergency Medical Technician and I can say that this PSA is not nearly as gory as it could be. If this PSA would save just one teen from ending up in the back of my ambulance, or worse yet zipped up in a body bag because of texting while driving then it would be effective

This is a very good example. For PSA purposes it's rushed through but there is soo much more involved. I think EVERYONE should watch this and pay more attention to what they are doing when driving. It only takes another second to pull over and text or call someone. OH 1 more thing. I drive vehicles that have lights and sirens. You really don't get there much faster screaming down the road with them going. They help with traffic and awareness. In fact you need to be more cautious when using them. So imagine someone with out these devices operating smaller vehicles and occupied by drivers who are distracted. Save a life. Yours. Get in your car and drive. Thats it. My 2 cents.

Personally, as an 18 year old girl guilty of texting while driving, this PSA made me feel literally sick, it haunted my thoughts, and more importantly it scared the crap out of me. I will never again text while driving. To anyone who thinks this PSA wouldn't affect teenagers in the way it is intended to: it would. However, I side with those who believe that it is a bit too graphic for the general public. The footage of the impact on the teenage girls alone would suffice to deter your average teen. The footage of the infant, toddler, and family is unnecessary, sickening, and I believe it ethically wrong to create and release such a thing in any media, even if it is often a reality. That aspect is more disturbing and angering than effective.

I think all teens and adults should see this video...THIS A HUGE PROBLEM among BOTH!!! I think schools should show this to their Drivers Ed classes...

I would make it required viewing prior to getting a license. Granted many teenagers and adults will blow it off but if it prevents just one accident it seems to me to be worth it.

A young girl from our area was decapitated while driving her car because she was texting, and not looking at the road and a semi truck had jackknifed across the road and she ran under the center of the truck at full driving speed -- 70 miles per hour estimated!!!!

This Video is not graphic enough. People who do careless things while they are driving a motor vehicle run the REAL risk of not only being hurt or killed themsleves but of also hurting or killing others!! There can never be a strong enough message -- DO NOT TAKE YOUR OFF EYES THE ROAD WHILE YOU ARE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A FAST MOVING MOTOR MACHINE OR YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE COULD DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH!!!!!

PUT THE PHONE DOWN AND WATCH THE ROAD!!!!

DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE!!!

To be fair, you should watch the video BEFORE you comment! This video sends a message to TEENS And to PARENTS of young children who text and drive!! It's a generational "need" to constantly be in touch with work and I have seen parents of young children driving and texting. This will wake up those parents too! I'm sorry you can't watch it... but you are being very negative... what would happen if everyone had your attitude and decided NOT TO TRY?? This is worth it!!

Actually it made me despise drivers that cause accidents like this even more. I really started to dislike the injured driver and was becoming more and more unsympathetic of her screaming and crying. If this was an actual event and this girl survived, I would hope she would be charged to the fullest extent. So damn selfish. The only part that was hard to watch was the dead baby, I would say that really hit home with me for whatever reason. I do not think this is too graphic of an ad.