ProMedica Recognizes National Distracted Driving Awareness Month with Community Outreach for Teens

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month and ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital’s Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Department is taking the opportunity to educate the community in hopes of decreasing the number of teen distracted driving crashes in Lucas County. This will be done through a number of outlets.

Teen drivers are already at a disadvantage when it comes to car crashes due to a lack of experience behind the wheel. Adding any distraction, especially a cell phone, causes them to be even more likely to crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the likelihood of a teen crashing while driving increases six times when dialing a phone number and 23 times if they choose to text.

Teenagers and their parents can get information on distracted driving throughout the month on the Rollin’ Smart Facebook and Instagram accounts. Starting April 4, there will be giveaways done each Sunday on the accounts. Those who comment on the distracted driving posts will be put in a drawing to win prizes donated by local businesses. One comment equals one entry, so the more comments, the more likely they are to win.

On April 12, teenagers can visit a participating Dunkin’ location to receive a free donut. They must show their student ID to participate. Participating locations include:

• 2709 Central Ave, Toledo, OH 43606
• 5649 W Alexis Rd, Sylvania, OH 43560
• 2474 Navarre Avenue, Oregon, OH 43616

There will be two interactive booths at the Franklin Park Mall, April 10, and The Shops at Fallen Timbers, April 24. Members from the ProMedica Ebeid Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Department will distribute informational brochures and have a distracted driving simulator for teens to utilize. Prizes and giveaways will also be available to teens by answering questions that are related to distracted driving.  Note: COVID-19 safety protocols will be required to attend the booths. Best judgment is encouraged if parents or their children are feeling ill. Those who have COVID-19 symptoms and/or a known exposure to someone who tested positive for the virus are strongly advised not to attend.

“Ensuring the safety of the communities we serve has always been of the utmost importance to ProMedica,” said Taylor Meehan, ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Specialist. “We are looking forward to educating new drivers and their parents on safe driving habits.”

This work is funded either in whole or in part by a grant awarded by the Ohio Department of Health as a sub-award of a grant issued by Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant under the Injury Prevention Program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, grant award number 1 NB01OT009358-01-00 and the State Farm Teen and Distracted Driving grant the department was awarded.