Tuesday, September 29, 2009
DOT Contact: Public Affairs Office / 202-366-4570
*****MEDIA ADVISORY*****
THURSDAY: Youth Panel Hosted by Seventeen Editor Ann Shoket to Highlight Dangers of Texting Behind the Wheel
Young adults will share their stories, help educate peers
Washington, DC - As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Distracted Driving Summit, Seventeen Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket will host a conversation with three young adults to talk about the dangers of texting and driving. The panel will be webcast live at 11 a.m. EDT, so that high school classrooms across the country can tune in and begin a discussion with their own peers about the dangers of using cell phones and sending text messages while driving.
Students will hear insights from Reggie Shaw, 22, and Nicole Meredith, 18, both of whom caused car crashes because they were texting while behind the wheel. Reggie's 2006 crash in Utah killed two men and sent him to prison for 30 days. Utah now has some of the nation's strictest texting laws because of this incident. Nicole, whose story was recently featured in Seventeen magazine, drove off the road while heading to a friend's house and totaled her own car. She walked away unharmed but did not tell her parents the true cause of the crash for nearly a year.
Reggie and Nicole will also be joined by Natalie Hayford, 17, a teen advocate with the Anoka, Minnesota chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Natalie is working in her school and community to try and educate people her age about the dangers of distracted driving.
The youth panel will take place on the second morning of the DOT's Distracted Driving Summit. The Summit will bring together experts from around the country to lead interactive sessions on a number of key topics including education and public awareness, current research, and regulations.
The conversation is scheduled from 11:00 a.m. EDT to 11:30 a.m. EDT on October 1. To view the webcast, visit http://www.dot.gov .
For more information about the Distracted Driving Summit, visit http://www.rita.dot.gov/distracted_driving_summit/ .
WHAT: Youth Panel Discussion on the Dangers of Texting While Driving
WHO: Ann Shoket, Seventeen Editor-in-Chief
Reggie Shaw
Nicole Meredith
Natalie Hayford
WHEN: 11:00 AM, Thursday, October 1, 2009
WHERE: Renaissance Hotel
999 9th Street NW
Washington, DC
OR, via live webcast at: http://www.dot.gov .