Honda Encourages Teens to Have #TheTextTalk with Parents, Cultivating Open Dialogue on Distracted Driving
Given the pervasive danger of texting while driving, Honda is flipping the script by encouraging teens to be role models and have #TheTextTalk with their parents throughout the month of April and beyond. The Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign from Honda features a series of videos geared to motivate teens to have #TheTextTalk, an open dialogue with their parents about practicing safer driving habits: Honda.us.distracted.
The campaign was inspired by today’s growing need to address the dangers of driving distracted. Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found that one in three parents read text messages and one in seven use social media while driving their children between the ages of four and ten. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each day in the United States more than 1,000 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.2
“By making children and teens the catalysts for change, Honda’s distracted driving campaign takes a nontraditional approach in parent-child dynamics to capture true human emotion and encourage safer driving,” said Jessica Fini, social media manager at American Honda Motor, Co., Inc. “For the past six years, we have used our social media platforms to promote safer driving during National Distracted Driving Awareness month, and we hope having the text talk will inspire a crucial conversation between teens and parents beyond the month of April.”
Distracted Driving Campaign Details
Honda’s distracted driving campaign features a long-form video (Honda.us.distracted) broken up into three pivotal parts:
- Introduction: each video opens with a montage of teenagers sitting down for individual interviews, discussing their and their parents’ phone behavior.
- Revelation: the video then shows the director asking each teen a series of questions related to their parent’s driving habits. The director asks why they haven’t discussed the dangers of their parents texting while driving, and how they’d feel if they had the talk with them now.
- Change: the families reunite to have #TheTextTalk. Each emotional parent-child conversation ends with a heartfelt commitment from the parent to stop texting while driving.
- The long-form video will live on Honda’s YouTube channel with cut-down versions of the video featured on Honda’s social media channels, including Twitter (@Honda), Facebookand Instagram (@Honda), throughout the month of April.
The campaign also features a pledge to drive distracted-free:
- The families featured in the video sign a pledge, a physical reminder of their heartfelt discussion, on how they will stop driving while distracted for the sake of their loved ones.
- The pledge will also be featured on Honda’s Instagram and website. Honda is encouraging people to share the pledge by tagging their loved ones on social media.
- Alternatively, a link to the online PDF version of the pledge is available at Honda.us.pledge and can be printed, signed, and shared among friends and family as a physical reminder of their commitment to no longer text and drive.