I currently serve as a Member-at-Large on the Communications Cabinet of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and one of the academy’s biggest efforts over the last few years is to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents that send drivers to the emergency room and operating tables. Since April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, I thought it would be a great time to help spread the word about the academy’s latest campaign, Decide To Drive.
Decide To Drive
Since 2009, the Academy has led an effort to curb distracted driving throughout the United States. First, AAOS joined forces with the Orthopaedic Trauma Association on a public service announcement urging drivers to never text while driving. Simply put, texting is a deadly distraction that can cause accidents, severe orthopaedic traumas or even worse, death.
As orthopaedic surgeons, we are trained to treat injuries suffered in car accidents, but our ultimate goal is to prevent accidental trauma from occurring in the first place.
In 2010, a national multimedia campaign, which included bus wraps, posters, postcards, airport advertisements and highway billboards, was launched with the support of a new partner, the Auto Alliance. The Academy and the Auto Alliance in 2011 together presented “Decide to Drive,” an award-winning, multimedia public service awareness campaign highlighting the significance of those “small” everyday distractions that are a significant threat to the safety of the driver, his or her passengers and everyone else on the road.
“Decide to Drive” and the website, DecidetoDrive.org, invites a conversation among drivers about the temptation, the threat and the aftermath of turning your attention away from the arguably most important task in your day: driving. Drivers across the nation were encouraged to report their stories on the website or on the Facebook fan page.
In 2015-2016, the “Decide to Drive” campaign continues the conversation to remind viewers that, while behind the wheel, there’s no such thing as a small distraction. The campaign has won several national awards, including a 2011 Silver CLIO Healthcare Award, ASAE’s Gold Circle Award and Council’s Choice Award, a Silver Trumpet from the Publicity Club of Chicago’s Golden Trumpet Awards, and a Clarion Award.
I think it’s wonderful that the AAOS is championing this cause, as distracted driving plays a role in more than 1 in 4 automobile accidents. Some people can walk away from a minor fender bender, but others have months of surgeries and rehab, while others pay an even dearer price. To learn more about the campaign, or to hear stories from members or learn more about the cause, swing on over to the Decide To Drive website today.