Dangers of Texting and Driving

The cornerstone of DCH Gardena Honda's Teen Safe Driving program is our affiliation with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Originally, the mission of the SADD chapter was to help young people say "No" to drinking and driving. Today, the mission has expanded. Students have told us that positive peer pressure, role modeling and environmental strategies can prevent other destructive decisions and set a healthier, safer course for their lives. And that is why SADD has become a peer-to-peer education, prevention, and activism organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, risky and impaired driving, teen violence, and teen suicide.

Our representative, Michelle Villanueva proudly represents SADD at High Schools in the communitity to spread awareness. Recently, Michelle and employee Safeena visited West Torrance High School for an assembly with guest speaker Andrew Murray. At 15 years old Murray is a professional NASCAR driver. At West Torrance High School he didnt speak about his careers but rather a more important subject -- the dangers of texting and driving.

"Being a race car driver, I know what little distraction you can have while driving and get into an accident because of it," Murray said. He taught the students that about 85 percent of teens admit to texting while driving, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. Murray presented other numbers and hard fact that were quite frightening.

Murray made a great impact on these students, by showing videos about the dangers of texting
and driving. Below is one of the videos Murray show cased at the assembly: