Press Release – GTLA, April 1, 2014
Atlanta, GA – In recognizing the start of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association has announced a year-round partnership with EndDD.org (End Distracted Driving). A campaign that began in 2009 after the death of 21-year-old Casey Feldman at the hands of a distracted driver, EndDD.org has already reached 172,000 students and drivers in 41 different states through a personalized, interactive presentation that gives audiences the facts about the dangers of distracted driving in an engaging, effective and memorable manner.
“Distracted driving on our roads is an increasingly prevalent epidemic that not only puts the driver at risk, but also risks the lives of each and every person around them. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that in a single year, over 5,000 people are killed on U.S. roadways and another 448,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes that involved distracted driving. It is our sincere hope that, through this partnership, Georgia drivers will take seriously the opportunity to commit to adopting safer, more responsible habits on our roadways,” said GTLA President Buck Rogers.
Through this partnership with EndDD.org, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association’s 2,000 members will be encouraged to deliver GTLA’s customized EndDD presentation in schools, civic organizations and other community groups in a concerted effort to raise distracted driving awareness across the state. Attendees will also be encouraged to sign the Family Safe Driving Agreement, which outlines simple steps that everyone can take to make our roads safer.
“As a father whose daughter was killed by a distracted driver, I have seen first-hand the devastating effect that reckless decisions on our roadways can have,” continued Joel Feldman, a trial lawyer and the Founder of EndDD.org. “Our efforts at EndDD.org have been supported tremendously by trial lawyers across the country, including Georgia. Distracted driving deaths are easily preventable. We must all choose how we will drive, and as parents we should model safe driving every time we have our children in the car with us. Together, we can save lives.”
Michael Wilensky, a Georgia attorney who has presented the EndDD presentation to schools, groups and congregations throughout and around Atlanta for the past two years, remarked, “The presentation put together by Joel Feldman empowers individuals of all ages to make the choice to not drive distracted and to speak up for their own safety when they are in the car with a distracted driver. Through evidence and videos, the presentation shows not only how to identify distractions while driving, but that these distractions go far beyond just talking on a cell phone or texting. The presentation is updated yearly, and each year I receive more and more praise from audiences that the presentation is educational, fun and meaningful; and, while outlining the proper steps to take, it also allows you to make the choice on your own.”
