M.E.T.H.O.D.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,474 people died in crashes that were reported to involve distracted driver and about 448,000 people were injured. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers distracted driving as one of the Eight Danger Zones for Teen Driving. The zones include driver inexperience, driving with teen passengers, nighttime driving, lack of seatbelts, impaired driving, drowsy driving and reckless driving.

NHTSA reports that fifteen people died every day from motor vehicle injuries and it is the leading cause of death among young people. As a result, there are many important efforts underway by various organizations, government agencies and companies to stem the injuries and fatalities that result from traffic crashes, especially those caused by distracted driving. The media is helping to bring attention to this serious issue that seems to be getting worse by the day.

M.E.T.H.O.D. is an acronym that stands for Mind, Eyes, Two Hands on Driving. It is a distracted driving prevention campaign focused on influencing people to drive responsibly, respectfully and distraction-free.

M.E.T.H.O.D. is unique in addressing this serious and complicated issue by incorporating a community-based approach to promote responsible and distraction free driving. The M.E.T.H.O.D. approach addresses factors to positively influence responsible driving attitudes and behaviors. Through youth leadership conferences, M.E.T.H.O.D. trains youth as Peer Leaders to initiate a campaign during a selected time frame. The purpose of the campaign is to draw in and educate the community and student body on the issue of cell phone use and driving. By running the M.E.T.H.O.D. campaign the issue of distracted driving and positive driving behaviors is reinforced in the school and community. While no one is forced to make a commitment to change, through M.E.T.H.O.D. activities people are encouraged to consider their susceptibility to crashes resulting from distracted driving and the benefits of changing that behavior.

M.E.T.H.O.D. uses community-based and experiential activities to promote and motivate positive and responsible driving behaviors. Liberty Mutual research shows 73 percent of teens admit to texting while driving – and of those, 97 percent recognize that it’s dangerous, but still do it. Teen drivers underestimate the dangers in driving distracted and are typically overconfident in their driving abilities. The M.E.T.H.O.D. campaign works to influence these attitudes and behaviors toward texting and driving and promote responsible and distraction free driving.

Through peer-led activities, M.E.T.H.O.D. encourages implementation of school and community-based policies, laws and guidelines that support responsible and distracted free driving. The old adage “Do as I say, not as I do” should not apply to driving. Parents and community members need to demonstrate responsible driving habits including avoiding using a cell phone and other distractions while driving. Youth will be encouraged to work with the school and community to promote responsible driving policy and engage in M.E.T.H.O.D. activities that demonstrate and promote a school’s commitment to responsible driving.

M.E.T.H.O.D. makes use of three primary and critical resources, Peer Advisors, Peer Leaders and School Resource Officers (SRO’s). The framework supports and promotes Peer Advisors and/or SRO’s as facilitators of positive change in a collaborative effort to stop distracted driving crash injuries and deaths.

Advisors and SRO’s participate in the peer training, provide guidance to students in the developing, planning and launching a M.E.T.H.O.D. campaign. The adult leader(s) serves as the integral channel for communication among students, faculty and the community in the effort to stop crashes.

Also, M.E.T.H.O.D. engages youth to be peer leaders and role-models in promoting responsible driving. Using youth to interact with and teach other youth is shown to increase learning and receptivity (Assinder, 1995).

M.E.T.H.O.D. adopts a spirit of respect for the individual and for individual choices, and a non-authoritarian approach to providing information, experiences and strategies dealing with distracted driving. Many people and especially youth typically resist authority figures who tell them what to do or how to behave. The M.E.T.H.O.D. campaign framework encourages students to refrain from any effort to force, cajole, embarrass, judge or shame people into compliance with responsible driving behavior. The spirit of this campaign is to provide information and experiences that allow people to come to their own conclusions about adopting responsible driving behaviors.