On May 12, 2020 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET, EndDD and trial lawyers across the U.S. and Canada are presenting a webinar aimed at teaching high school students about the dangers of distracted driving. The presentation, titled “End Distracted Driving: Keeping Ourselves and Loved Ones Safe After COVID-19,” will focus on the dangers of distracted driving and shifting our perspective to avoid it, particularly ahead of the world’s return to normalcy following COVID-19.
Shifting the Format to Keep Reaching Students
Since Joel Feldman and Dianne Anderson founded EndDD after their daughter Casey was killed by a distracted driver, Joel has given more than 750 distracted driving presentations to nearly 200,000 students and adults. With the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Joel and hundreds of EndDD speakers have had to postpone presentations to 30,000 to 45,000 teens that would have happened before the end of the school year. Now, with the help of Zoom, we are offering a new opportunity for students to still participate. “As schools have moved to the online format, so have we,” Joel said.
Although this presentation will be virtual, Joel’s message remains consistent. “I want teens to take away the same messages from this Zoom call as I would hope they would in my regular presentations. I want them to drive safely and be the person that’s not afraid to speak up when they see distracted driving. While I won’t be able to see the faces of all the teens listening, I know that they will be affected.”
John Bair of Milestone Consulting, who is a Board Member of the Casey Feldman Foundation, was an integral part of organizing the distracted driving webinar presentation. “When a presentation is done right, which is always the case with Joel, it makes the recipient deeply reflect on their safety habits,” John said. “It’s important that we get this message out now before the roads become busy again. If this call has the potential to save one life, then it’s all worth it.”
Using The COVID-19 Crisis to Understand Distracted Driving
Respect is a core value of Joel’s presentations, and he believes the message will resonate now on a deeper level. “Teens are more receptive to and understanding of what respect is, especially in relation to the coronavirus. We wear our masks to protect other people, in case we carry the virus, even if we’re feeling fine. Doing so shows our respect and caring for others. My goal is to apply that same concept to driving. We share the road with others, so let’s show them respect by not driving distracted.
“There seems to be a universal outpouring of care for one another right now. If we want to get through this, we have to work together. Why not apply this to our driving?” Although not all teens are drivers yet, the message carries the same importance. “This generation of teens is caring,” John explained. “It’s about recognizing that distracted behavior carries a risk that can affect their loved ones. Even if they don’t drive, their circle of influence is very broad. So, if they get that message out to their family members or friends that drive, it’s beneficial for everyone.”
EndDD is hosting this webinar in conjunction with the Anapol Weiss Foundation and Zoom Video Communications. The price of holding a nationwide Zoom call is typically high, but Zoom was willing to cover the cost. “Zoom is proud to work with EndDD to make distracted driving a thing of the past,” a Zoom representative involved in the negotiations said. “EndDD reached out to Zoom earlier this year about hosting webinars for high school students to deliver their important message about distracted driving. We were happy to help with this effort by providing complimentary Zoom licenses and event support.”
The distracted driving webinar will take place on Tuesday, May 12th at 1:00 p.m. ET.
