Well it’s definitely left an impression. Unfortunately it’s not the kind of impression that delivers results. This is more of something out of a TV drama than a Public Service Announcement. It’s more of a scare tactic than a really effective tool for preventing texting and driving. Where was this aired. (Or was it even aired?) It’s far too graphic, and I would not EVER show this to my teen.

This looks pretty real to me, so I think it’s an effective tool.  As someone who lost a brother in a driving accident years ago, I want to do whatever I can to preserve my teen daughter’s life.  I think it’s important to teach teens that they are NOT invinsible.  They may be disturbed after watching the video, but I am certain that they will think twice before texting while driving…or even riding with someone that habitually texts while driving.

..looks like it’s a british produced PSA, judging by the RHD vehicles..I say show this ALL OVER!...USA..Canada..Mexico…if enough people see this and 10% think of NOT useing anything in their vehicle while driving then its a considered a sucess!!..and ADULTS should watch this too!...not just teens

Too graphic? Have you lost your mind? I don’t think it’s graphic enough. Unfortunately in a PSA that’s probably not possible. Then it probably would look like just TV. REAL pictures might get some attention. Squashed heads with brains all over the road might wake up people like you Melanie Q. who wouldn’t show something like this to your teen. My grandchildren are grown, but I would have shown them anything to keep them alive. Wake up! I wonder how much your teens drink &/or use because of your protection.

I don’t think that this is actually that graphic. All it has is a little blood. Also, the girl’s screaming and the part where they are thrown around in the car seems a little too showy/fake to me. I’ve watched more graphic and emotional movies in driving school. I must agree with Elizabeth. Real photos and films would be much more effective in convincing teens to pay attention while driving. Teens think that they are invincible but things like this may knock some sense into them about the fact that something like this CAN happen

I actually thought that this was well thought out for several reasons.  One it was very important to add the second car to show teens that these kind of mistakes don’t just effect their lives but those of innocent people.  It was also important to leave the teen driver awake and aware of what had occurred and for her to see the trajedy caused by her actions.  Graphics are the only thing that really catches teens’ attention, next to the real thing.  This is also being used in conjunction with program with live speakers.  Although some people may find this too graphic, they haven’t had the misfortune of being the first person at the scene of an accident like this.  If they had then they would know there is nothing too graphic about this video

What they really ought to do is release photos from actual scenes in a montage (of course with the surviving family members okay.) Punishments should also be increased. When deaths occur is should be Homocide, not Manslaughter.

I am a teen and I will now never text and drive.  I say it worked

Im not old enough to drive yet, but i love texting, and i will NEVER text and drive though. i mean after wathcing that,i cant imagine how bad i would feel if i was responsible for my friends deaths/serious injuries. I know that was fake and created to scare teens, but stuff like that happens all the time. so we rly should pay attention

i think it looks fake.. Im a teen and I think this is scary but how often does a situation like this one happen ? I think that it would happen a lot more often by drinking and driving etc. yeah this is worse case scenario.. but i dont think that many people would die.

oh and the children are fine ? the parents look dead but the children are fine ?

As a forensic pathologist performing hundreds of autopsies on motor vehicle accident victims, I think that the nature of the injuries shown in this video is VERY realistic.

The sheer violence of an accident can never be fully appreciated until a person has experienced one, but the explosive shattering of the tempered glass, the occupants colliding off each other, the unresponsive victims mixed with the screaming victims all seems too real to me. 
(The only thing I did NOT see here was ejection of unbelted occupants).

I personally know of too many accidents where the direct causative action was the driver being preoccupied, or having their attention focused on some other task (adjusting the radio, picking something up off the floorboards).

Who gets hurt or killed in an accident is somehow a function of size of the vehicle, whether a particular vehicle has the latest safety equipment, age of occupants (older people do not survive as well, all other things equal) and pure chance.

My son and I just watched this together.

omg that is so so so sad i love to text too

I don’t think such a thing could be too graphic, given what it’s showing is attempting to prevent - the real thing.  How graphic would that be?  I do not want my daughter to have to endure such a tragic occurrence in real life.  This should be mandatory viewing before getting even a permit.

Texting and cell phone use in moving vehicles are the new drinking/driving threat to all drivers on the road today.  They need to be declared illegal to at least lessen their use, and perhaps save the lives of those who believe that operating a high speed vehicle (or train…) is enough of a challenge without the addition of alcohol, texting or cell phone use.

I’d seen a short part of this on MSNBC yesterday; the full video is much more effective, imo.  I agree, very realistic, NOT too graphic or ‘fake’—this is reality Rachael.  and, not that it matters, but I don’t think the infant was fine, by any means.

the one thing provided on MSNBC is that this was from a “small community in Wales”.  the link is below:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32556863/

I’m the father of a 17 year-old and a 13 year-old, both boys; the older one is driving.  He will see this, I promise.

In response to Rachael: I’m willing to bet there are many more people texting and driving than there are drinking and driving, if only because up until recently, texting was not against the law. Thankfully, many jurisdictions are making it illegal. But the sheer number of people who are texting and driving make it likely that this will cause more accidents than drinking and driving will.

Rachael, if you think “situations like this” don’t happen very often, think again. You don’t think it could easily happen that you don’t drift into the wrong lane when you’re not looking at the road? I’m afraid it’s exactly this kind of attitude that leads teens to get into so many more accidents than anyone else.

Drinking and driving are bad. Texting and driving are bad. Yes, even cell phone usage (talking, not texting) has been proven to be very dangerous - about the same as driving drunk. Cell phone users have been found to be 5.36 times more likely to get in an accident than undistracted drivers. See,
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Drivingissues/20060830105036.html

Please get your head out of the sand. An automobile can be a dangerous weapon when used carelessly. In my opinion, it should be illegal to perform nearly all distracting activities while driving (cell phone use, texting, putting on makeup, reading (!), etc.).

By the way, I’ve viewed the video several times and not only do I think it was very realistic (if not too tame) but I believe the infant was intended to appear dead, even though it’s eyes were still open. It’s absolutely still - no movement.

This is a very well done PSA. I didn’t think it was too graphic. I work at a high school and this type of PSA is exactly what they need to see. Many teens here live by the “No Fear” motto and I’ve witnessed many teens and adults multi-tasking while driving, paying very little attention to pedestrians and bicyclists or even if the light is green or red. Show this in driver education classes. Teens see much worse in a typical zombie movie.

Too graphic? Having worked in the emergency room and vascular radiology, no, this is not too graphic. Graphic is the parent waiting for word on his/her child. As for the infant - infants, and people, can and do die with their eyes open. If this saves one life it is well worth watching.  And by the way, driving when really tired is just as dangerous.

Melanie Q’s is the quintessential shortsighted response you would espect to get.
You remove the shock value of any message and you have nothing. Its business as usual, mayhem on the roads.

Having been a teacher for some 20+ years, I know from being around teens that VERY LITTLE actually scares them; as somebody pointed out, much more graphic scenes are in the touted horror films teens seem to enjoy. As for Melanie Q, I’m sorry but you need your head examined. You have a choice a)upset your teen (maybe) or b) save their life! And you are for which choice again? Un-educated drivers make me afraid of using the roads and I drive a high performance Jaguar—BUT with care! Show this to ANYONE who wants to drive in public!

During the PSA, when the EMT’s are looking at the baby, you hear them say they are getting no response from the child.  If the baby was alive, she’d be screaming and crying.  This is from personal experience, a distraction caused my wife to veer in front of an oncoming car.  Thank the Lord they were all restrained and no permanent injuries, but a moments distraction can cause grave effects.

Another effective way to show kids what happens is to take them for a visit to a trauma center and meet some victims. It has been done with school kids in Melbourne Australia and made a big impression on them. Reality can wake you up.

This is not too graphic.  I think that Driver’s Ed classes should have to show this as part of driver’s training.  When I was in HS they would show videos from the Ohio State Highway Patrol of accident scenes that were all too real, including the accident that killed Jane Mansfield.  They had their intended effect.  Teenagers think they’re invincible - whatever it takes to get through to them is worth any discomfort, in my book.  Would raising the driving age to 18 help?  That’s anyone’s guess, but watching some of the stupid stuff that college kids do, I’m not so sure.

RA Agresta,
Thanks for the link!

The only improvement I might make is to show the aftermath—say, from a week later (funerals), from a year later (physical therapy for the driver) or twenty years later (the heartbreak that occurs every time the driver sees a photo of the friends who died in her car).

This one is for Rachel…that baby in the carseat was dead or with a brain injury (fixed pupils)....and yes, I work in the medical field and these bad accidents happen way more than you think!!

very realistic video.  As a former EMT working on a city ambulance for twelve years, I can tell you that many times the person causing an accident lives while others die.  Drunk driving, fast driving, cellphone use, texting, watching a DVD, spilling hot liquids, all can cause the same thing.  I say make every 16 year old potential driver watch the video, but not in a group setting.  Watch it alone, with no peer audience to “play” to.  Scare the living “stuff” out of your kids with this video.  It happens and it is realistic.  Ask any EMT or Paramedic who is been in the field for a while.  Learning lessons after incidents happen is too late.  Will your kid have nightmares after watching this, oh yes they will.  But I betcha they think twice while driving and that is what the Welch wanted to accomplish with this video.

Two thumbs up to those of you who agreee- WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO WAKE UP OUR SOCIETY.  It is far too risky to text and drive but yet those of you who think it’s just a little problem need to work in ER and see the many many lives it touches everyday! These families are changed forever.  Nothing about this is too graphic- IT’S REAL LIFE AND IT’S TIME YOUR KIDS SEE IT!

I will show this this to my kids. Seeing what can happen will make them think twice before they do anything careless