Posts Tagged ‘video’

We’re experimenting with a new technology from the folks at Vokle that will help us connect with some of the leading voices in street safety with video webcasts we’re calling “Word on the Streets.” We experienced a few audio/visual difficulties with the first go ’round, but our guests, Elizabeth Stampe from Walk SF and Wendy Alfsen [...]

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As part of the new advertising campaign for this summer’s Pixar animated film Cars 2, Disney has released a public service announcement that warns about the dangers of distracted driving with the help of characters from the film. The short PSA is sponsored by the film studios and the Department of Transportation to spread the message that “only bad guys drive distracted,” and “one text or call could wreck it all.” The combined DOT and Cars 2 website provides additional information on distracted driving.

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In the midst of the “Facebook revolution,” Americans are awed by any problem that can be solved by technology. That’s why many car companies and safety advocates have turned to technology to reduce distracted driving. But these high-tech control systems aren’t always slam dunks. New York Times Personal Technology Editor Sam Grobart tested some popular options for a video last week before the New York International Auto Show, and came up with some mixed results, suggesting that distracted driving technologies could make driving even more confusing.

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Last week, we brought you some of the most absurd attempts of replicating judicial in the most unlikely courtroom dramas. Ranging from Chicago to Miracle on 34th Street, it was clear that film writers are comfortable fudging the facts and realities when it comes to telling a compelling story. Not surprisingly, the same is true for legal comedies… to an even more outlandish extent. But since comedies typically aren’t bound by realism or attention to detail, the freedoms taken in the films described below are perhaps more forgivable than those taken in courtroom dramas. Take a look at our list, ranging all the way from Legally Blonde to Ghostbusters II.

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The fight against distracted driving started with parents who had lost a teenager to the dangerous practice. Soon, the fight picked up steam, earning high profile supporters like talk show mega-host Oprah Winfrey, and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. Now, a sign that anti-distracted driving campaigns have reached the mainstream, cell phone companies are beginning to warn of the dangers of texting, typing, and talking behind the wheel. This week, mobile service provider AT&T released an 11 minute video titled “The Last Text” in order to show the impact of distracted driving from the point of view of those who have lost friends and family members.

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Did you make any new years resolutions this winter? For the driving safety parent, cutting down on your child’s use of cell phones behind the wheel is a great resolution option. Each year, more than 6,000 teenagers are killed and nearly half a million are injured in accidents related to distracted driving. And safety advocates have said that many of these accidents can be avoided simply by raising awareness. Now, Glee star Jane Lynch has joined the fight against cell phone misuse in a series of videos produced by LG designed to help parents boost cell phone safety for their teens.

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We spend a lot of time on the GJEL blog discussing distracted driving and the implications of the dangerous practice on a large scale. Since distracted driving contributes to the death of more than 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries each year, discussion about state laws to curb cell phone use behind the wheel is important. But such discussion can have the unintended effect of blurring the stories of those who have witnessed the most horrific impacts of distracted driving firsthand. So in honor of Thanksgiving weekend, I wanted to emphasize some of those stories, and memorialize some individuals who cannot celebrate the holidays this year because people continue to drive distracted.

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The Consumer Attorneys of California have created a video detailing just what the world would be like without lawyers. Sure, we’ve become an over lawyered society to a certain extent. But lawyers provide far more good than harm, and continue to fight for “the little guy” against corporations who have the resources to get legislation and public opinion on their side. Click through for the video.

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There are a handful of great reasons to drive safely. If you want to avoid vehicular injuries, car damage, or just dodge tickets from police officers, obeying traffic signs while paying close attention to the habits of other drivers are good ways to do so. But I suspect the most common reason that drivers stay under the speed limit is a fear of getting a ticket or being harassed by police officers. And why operate based on fear when we don’t have to?

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The country’s top auto safety regulator put his rubber stamp on legislation introduced in congress this week that would increase the power of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to force automobile recalls. Responding to the legislation, the NHTSA’s head hancho David Strickland said “whether it’s negotiating with manufacturers or the ability for the agency to move forward in a mandatory fashion — those are the core of what we want to achieve.” With that in mind, we bring you This Week in Automobile Industry Recalls and a Toyota recall rap video.

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