Last updated July 16, 2026
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, including these daunting statistics:
- 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
- In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in the U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES)
- The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group — 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)
- Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes seious enough to injure themselves. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
See the video below. And remember to avoid distracted driving and to drive safe all summer long.
