Jay spent time over the past two weeks away from the office trying lower the number of potential car crash cases we handle. And this was a good thing.
End Distracted Driving is an organization started by Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson after their daughter, Casey Feldman, was tragically killed in a crosswalk by a distracted driver in 2009. Their mission is to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving while generating action to prevent it. Jay took part it in EndDD’s nationwide program by reaching out in his community and speaking to drivers education classes at Crystal Lake South High School and Cary-Grove High School.
“I’ve spoken to other lawyers, college students, and law students, but this was a bit different,” Jay said. “Trying to catch and maintain the attention of a group of high school students on the cusp of summer vacation was a bit more challenging. Still, I was impressed by how attentive and responsive they were.”
Students readily agreed with the common (mis)perception that teens are “the worst” when it comes to texting and driving. However, research indicates otherwise:
“They were a bit surprised when I showed them the actual numbers,” Jay said. “However, there were a lot of hands in the air when I asked if any of them had been in the car while a parent was texting while driving.”
And that seems to be a big hurdle. If we are going to demand safe driving from our children, it’s time we start showing them what it looks like—every time we’re in the car.
We take our jobs seriously, representing victims of car crashes every day. But we also take seriously our responsibility to increase driver safety and awareness.