World’s Longest Truck Reverse and Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Social Media Pack

Hey! 

What started out as just a personal challenge for me has turned into something much greater and far more altruistic, and we thank you for showing your support.

On September 30th 2020, I’m going to attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the world’s longest distance reversing a truck and semi-trailer to kick start and raise awareness for Distracted Driving Awareness Month in October.

We would love it if you would share the message with us and help us start a conversation around safe driving practices in your community.

Below are some ideas for sending out to your own online community, along with our campaign hashtags and driving statistics. Some ask questions, some talk about the record attempt, some promote Distracted Driving Awareness Month and some are asking to donate to the National Safety Council, the nation’s leading nonprofit safety advocate, or Take The Pledge to remain undistracted while driving. There are several variations so please take them and use them to start a conversation and bring value to your community. You’re welcome to change the content of the posts/messages yourself to something you see might be a better fit for your audience, however we ask that you don’t change the hashtags, details, statistics or names of course.

The “Take The Pledge” we talk about is a personal challenge where we ask people to pledge to stay off their phones while driving, remove distractions, stay focused on the road ahead and “Just Drive”.

Find out how you can have your donation matched by visiting the pledge through the Council’s website (https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation).Once people go to the website, we are then asking people to Take The Pledge on social media, and nominate and tag a few friends to do the same. (More info and scripts on this below.)

We are most grateful for your contribution and assistance with this, and we hope that we can send this truly meaningful and valuable message deep into the community.

Brett Solomano 

+1 415 960 5759

For more information go to: www.LongestTruckReverse.com

Or visit: https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/get-involved/distracted-driving-awareness-month

Take The Pledge

Go to https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation and take the pledge and learn how you can make your donation go farther. .

Then commit to the pledge via text on social media, using the following format…

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I, [YOUR NAME], pledge to Just Drive for my own safety and for others with whom I share the roads. I choose to not drive distracted in any way – I will not:

• Have a phone conversation – handheld, hands-free, or via Bluetooth• Text or send Snapchats• Use voice-to-text features in my vehicle’s dashboard system• Update Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo or other social media• Check or send emails• Take selfies or film videos• Input destinations into GPS (while the vehicle is in motion)• Call or message someone else when I know they are driving

I just took The Pledge at https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation and I nominate [TAG THREE FRIENDS OR ANYONE WHO YOU FEEL NEEDS TO TAKE THIS PLEDGE TOO] to take this pledge with me.#JustDrive #TakeThePledge #FocusOnTheDrive #NationalSafetyCouncil #NSC #DDAM

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More information can be found at https://www.longesttruckreverse.com/take-the-pledge/

Posts

Here are some posts for you to share on your social media account. Please choose ones that are best suited to your community, feel free to write your own and always include links, tags and hashtags wherever possible.

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Wow. Here’s a statistic that surprised me. What do you guys think of this?

(Include a statistic from down below. Then pose a question…)

What would you do if a friend started using their phone while driving?

Be honest, how often do you touch your phone while driving? I know I take a peek in the middle of traffic sometimes… :(

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I’m curious, how much is too much mobile phone use while driving? It’s illegal most everywhere, but I know a lot of us do it, and I’ve even caught myself checking my phone a couple of times too.

What are your thoughts on this? What, in your opinion, is acceptable and safe usage behind the wheel and what is not acceptable/dangerous?

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Hey guys, I’ve got some exciting news!

Brett Solomano is going for Guinness World Record on Sept 30th to raise awareness for Distracted Driving Awareness Month in October this year. He is going to reverse a tractor trailer some 50+ miles!

We are asking people to Take The Pledge and #JustDrive while behind the wheel.

Please go here https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation and here https://www.longesttruckreverse.com/take-the-pledge/ in support of this cause.

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Did you know that (insert statistic)? In October, we are asking everyone to donate to the National Safety Council in support of their Distracted Driving Awareness Month. (nsc.org/longesttruckreverse) Please donate and share if you support this cause.

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Alright, so who likes to challenge themselves? Have you ever in the last few months used a phone or done anything other than driving WHILE DRIVING? 

We want everyone to #TakeThePledge this month for Distracted Driving Awareness Month #DDAM in October. (https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation) Support the National Safety Council and their efforts to keep people safe on the road. .

Want to get a friend to do this, too?https://www.longesttruckreverse.com/take-the-pledge/

Create Your Own!

Here are some ideas to create your own campaigns with.

Share a statisticGrab a statistic from below, and share it.

Ask for a comment, an opinion or adviceThink of an aspect of road safety that you notice or that you just learnt about. Share it, ask for your audience’s thoughts, start a discussion.

Create a pollHow often do you speed/use a phone/text/see someone using a phone while driving?Then ask something like “what do you think we can do about it?”

Take The PledgeBoth on the NSC website https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation and on your social media https://www.longesttruckreverse.com/take-the-pledge/ ! Remember to tag and nominate a friend!

DonateJust ask them to donate! You can also ask them to donate by choosing a post from above and then adding this link. nsc.org/longesttruckreverse

Please remember!! Always share a link back to the NSC page for donations (nsc.org/longesttruckreverse) or for getting people to Take The Pledge https://safety.nsc.org/ddam-pledge-donation , to Brett’s World Record attempt website (www.LongestTruckReverse.com) and use hashtags where possible to help us make this something viral and meaningful in the community.

Hashtags

#JustDrive #TakeThePledge#FocusOnTheDrive #NationalSafetyCouncil #NSC#DDAM#DistractedDrivingAwarenessMonth

Statistics

Statistics can be found at the following sites:https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812926https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/distracted-driving/u-drive-u-text-u-pay

And more are below with the sources...

*The Most Startling Distracted Driving Statistics for 2020* ~ According to https://carsurance.net/blog/distracted-driving-statistics/

- In the United States, about 9 people are killed every day due to car crashes involving a distracted driver.- 21% of teen drivers involved in a car accident were distracted by cell phones.

*What percentage of accidents are caused by distracted drivers?*Current distracted driving statistics show that 80% of all car accidents are caused by the driver being distracted in some way. This includes fatal accidents as well. Further research signifies that 58% of crashes involving teen drivers are a result of distracted driving.Source: TeenSafe

*Is texting and driving more dangerous than drinking and driving?*According to the top statistics, reports show that texting and driving are six times more likely to lead to a car crash than drinking and driving. However, both are extremely dangerous. Drinking and driving causes many fatalities, while texting and driving leads to a greater number of accidents.Source: Smith System

*How many injuries are there a year from texting and driving?*Texting and driving is not just a crime, it’s a very dangerous act. According to case studies, texting and driving makes up almost 1.6 million car crashes every year. Of those, nearly 390,000 injuries are recorded.Source: Edgar Snyder

*Every year, distracted drivers are responsible for about 2.5 million car crashes.*

Almost every day, people hear about these crashes all over the world. This is regarded as a major problem in society, and for this reason, the public has access to many relevant enlightenment programs and educational services on distracted driving.Source: Smith System

*On a typical day, more than 700 people are injured in distracted driving crashes.* Talking on a cell phone – even hands-free – or texting or programming an in-vehicle infotainment system diverts your attention away from driving. Keep yourself and others around you safe and #justdrive.Source: National Safety Council

*Texting and driving causes 1 out of 4 car crashes.*Today’s cell phone distraction statistics show just how important it is for drivers to keep their cell phones out of reach.Source: Edgar Snyder

*Texting and driving is 6 times more likely to lead to a car accident than driving drunk.*Cell phones are fast becoming an integral part of our everyday lives. This also applies to drivers. However, cell phone driving statistics have shown that drivers who text and drive are six times more likely to crash than drivers who drive drunk. This goes a long way toward showing how much harm the presence of cell phones can bring to drivers.Source: Smith System

*Driving distracted was responsible for 8.5% of the fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2018.*Reports are still being gathered concerning 2019. Hopefully the high number of fatalities due to distracted driving will incentivize people into educating themselves about its dangers.Source: The Zebra

*71% of large truck/car crash fatalities happened as a result of being distracted.*Large truck accidents occur just as often as any other type of car accident. And their drivers are clearly no exception to the statistics on distracted driving.Source: Smith System

~https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-drivingDistracted driving is dangerous, claiming 2,841 lives in 2018 alone. Among those killed: 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists. NHTSA leads the national effort to save lives by preventing this dangerous behavior. Get the facts, get involved, and help us keep America’s roads safe.

~https://nationaltoday.com/distracted-driving-awareness-month/- Text messaging increases the risk of crash or near-crash by 23 times.- Over 80% of drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior while driving, such as changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails, or even shaving.

Thank you!On behalf of the National Safety Council, the Longest Truck Reverse Team and all current and future road users, we say Thank You.

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