Updated on: 11/7/2019
The 16-year-old Redmond resident developed materials that describe the dangers of texting while driving, that can be used by community organizations, schools, and more.
Bhaumik came up with the idea to have assemblies at schools that demonstrate how dangerous this behavior is. An example was having students ride through an obstacle course on a tricycle while texting.
Along with planned demonstrations, Bhaumik also wants to focus on personal stories of accidents caused by texting while driving.
"People will only realize the dangers of texting while driving after they hear real-life stories," she explained. "On almost every page of the 'It Can Wait' campaign website, it shows a link for 'The Last Text,' a movie which interview(ed) people who have been affected by someone's choice to text while driving. I think that this is a great idea because it's another way to introduce students to the subject of not texting while driving and sends a message that pertains to adults as well."
Congratulations to Trisha!
Texting While Driving Statistics
The federal government estimated that by 2007 11 percent of drivers were talking on their phones at any given time. Harvard University researchers have estimated that drivers using cell phones are causing more than 2,500 or more fatal crashes a year and more than 500,000 injury accidents annually. In 2008, distracted driving motor vehicle accidents killed nearly 6,000 Americans.