Shepherd Center Launches Distracted Driving Campaign in April: Campaign is available for employers to download and promote among their employees

ATLANTA – Shepherd Center launched a new campaign on April 8 aiming to curb distracted driving among its more than 1,400 employees.

April is National Distracted Driving Month, and Shepherd Center is observing it from April 8-12, which the hospital has designated as “Employee Safe Driving Week.”

A campaign called “Reasons” will feature a positive reminder to help people curb distracted driving habits. It was developed by Atlanta advertising agency Frederick Swanston. Shepherd Center has also organized several employee education events during the week.

The campaign reminds drivers there is a reason you got in the car to drive somewhere. Sometimes it’s big. Sometimes it’s small. Either way, it’s important to remember that whatever is waiting for you at your destination, that’s the reason to arrive safely. And that means not driving distracted.

“We want to ask everyone about their reason for arriving safely,” said Bridget Metzger, director of injury prevention and education at Shepherd Center. “It may be fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. It may be snuggle time with your kids. It might even be Taco Tuesdays. Regardless, the message is a very personal one.”

“Reasons” features a line of posters with reason numbers for arriving safely. Shepherd Center will offer an opportunity for viewers at its Facebook site to post their own reasons and share them with friends.

“We did not want to use scare tactics and talk about car accidents and death, said Una Newman, senior account director at Frederick Swanston. “Instead we focused on the possible things awaiting you at your end location and why you can’t wait to get home or to your destination….in various colors to make it fun and appealing to any age audience.”

The campaign is possible thanks to support from Shepherd Center’ injury prevention partners, Atlanta-based law firms Malone Law and Butler, Wooten & Fryhofer, LLP.

Shepherd Center is offering the campaign free of charge to employers who want to promote safe driving in their own organizations. The posters are available for download and can be in branded to include an employer’s logo. That website address is Shepherd.org/InjuryPrevention.

“We're proud to offer elements of this campaign to the public, as well as to our trauma center partners or other organizations to help spread this positive safety message,” Metzger said.