Graphic Film Tackles Texting while Driving

(CBS)  It's one of the most dangerous things you can do - texting while driving.

There are laws against it in more than half the states. Studies show it can increase your chances of having an accident by four times. But people keep doing it.

The message is not getting through. So in Britain, there's an effort to make the message a lot more dramatic, as CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports.

It's a 30-minute video with slick production made for showing in British high schools - made to demonstrate the distracting danger of texting on a cell phone while driving.

It's also very deliberately made to shock.

The film shows numerous violent car crashes. They're cinema - not real footage. But the images are so graphic and horrific that the film was labeled for 18-and-over only when an excerpt landed on YouTube last week.

Its writer and director - who cast his own son Henry in the video - makes no apologies.

"Yes it is violent, but the reality of a fatal road accident is much more gruesome, is much more violent," said writer-director Peter Watkins Hughes. "My position on this is that if you are old enough to drive, if you are old enough to want to drive, you are old enough to be aware of the real and serious risks one places yourself in every time you get behind the wheel."

Produced last summer for the Gwent police force in south Wales, which picked up most of the almost $20,000 cost - it's called "the film that will stop you texting and driving." And it may already be working.

"As you know, this video has been viewed around the world now by 1.5 million people, and we have had e-mail after e-mail after e-mail from people saying, 'I will never ever text and drive again' - from young people," said Gwent police chief constable Mick Giannasi.

Authorities in Britain say texting while driving slows reaction time 35 percent - making it more dangerous than driving while high or drunk. Yet 48 percent drivers under 25 have done it.

The young actors in the video knew that. What they didn't know was that their work, finished last summer, would have such impact.

Jenny Davies plays the driver nicknamed cow.

"My mom cried, my mom cried a lot watching it and seeing me screaming," she said, "and a lot of my friends have been really upset by it seeing me screaming, in that much pain - as it seems, that much pain."

Amy Ingham was one of her passengers.

"If it makes people cry, then it makes people cry you know but fingers crossed that everybody watching this is going to learn something from it," Ingham said.

And if the lesson saves just one life, they say, that would be awesome.

Read more from Richard Roth about this story and the making of the PSA video in CBSNews.com's Couric and Co. blog.

[ELIZAKAY]

Why am I unable to view this video? See no "play" button or any other options to view...someone please help? !

[GoodOnRoad]

It is dangerous to be distracted while driving and mobile phones play a major role. I use drivesafe.ly mobile application to text and stay focused on the road

[taraingram]

I feel this video should be enforced in the U.S. more. Texting is more deadly than talking on the phone. This video would do wonders for teens in the U.S., I feel that it should be shown in Drivers Ed. classes, not to a younger adiuence.

[beaunash]

All drivers caught using a mobile phone while driving should be made to resit their driving test plus a fine plus points on their licence

[alexandrews1981]

One might bare in mind that the police also use their phones while driving. One can't exactly expect that the public would be content to fined for something others do freely.

However, I do believe one could be fined with current laws for obstructing traffic. As many using a phone while driving tend to go slow, or drive erratically. One could even rationalize the use of DUI laws, because one is driving under the influence of the phone.

Those would be two application of the law that would be appropriate as they are based on the actual DRIVING of the vehicle operator.

[rsmik]

Death on the Information Highway

[sfbanak]

The numerous murder shows on TV are more violent than this video. Maybe it will get a very important point across and save a few lives. I sure hope so.

[alexandrews1981]

I agree, it isn't any worse than the TV shows. What I would like to see is the accident segment shown in Movie theaters before PG-13 and R movies. And it should be used in American schools too.

I can't stand "safety" videos in the U.S. the beat around the bush, quoting statistics. There is very little focus on REAL consequences.

[tiredofthebs]

If you're stupid enough to DRIVE & TEXT, the world's better off if you're killed for your stupidity. I only feel for the innocents that these idiots kill.

[sfbanak]

Maybe they need a video of talking angry bloggers and you could see the ugliness behind what you say. In your mind a "stupid" person would be dead; but, their family, friends and others would suffer, too. I'm not condoning the practice the video attempts to curtail. I would like to see people use less anger language and name-calling in blogs. As if you never had a lapse in judgement--rigghhtt! We all have. Sometimes we reap the punishment of our actions, one of the worst being our death or someone elses a our hands. Freedom of speech has gone to far in blogs. Some rules need to bring more civility to blogs. We are more and more an angry people who like to put down others as if we are so perfect. Well, NONE of us are. There is far too much arrogance today.

[alexandrews1981]

I think that is a really hateful statement from one ignorant of the humanity of others. I understand it's a frustrating topic.

Really it should be harder to get a drivers licence. However, the real point of interest is that PARENTS need to really crack down and take the phone or whatever device away if they find their kid has been allowing distractions while driving. Also, parents and other adult drivers need to set a good example and not do it them selfs!

[shawnpimpin]

i have an idea that might work we could make a smart phone that all you have to do is say text like hi mom ill be there in a little bit and the cell phone would text that for you so you dont have to and then say send to mom and it would send it to your mom with out you to have to look up your moms number

[sfbanak]

voice-activated phones where you can tell the phone who to call could work well, too. And a hands-free device.

[alexandrews1981]

You're kidding right? it still pulls your attention away from the road.

I think the speed restriction thing might be good if nobody ever road a bus, or a train, or other forms of transit where you aren't the driver. Not to mention the passengers in the car would also be affected.

The problem is the DRIVER, not the phone, or the car, or the street. The DRIVER should hand the phone of to a passenger if it is so important to talk to the person. And if there is no passenger, the DRIVER should wait till they're stopped to reply, and i don't mean at a traffic light or stop sign.

[Resin-Smoker]

Cell phone companies themselves are a large part of the problem as they have quietly marketed cell phone use in cars (Hands Free) for years as well as adding numerious cell phone towers along highways.

A simple solution to this situation would be...

Almost all of the current cell phones have built in GPS, which can be used to detect the speed and direction of travel. There could be an hard system application created and mandated for all cell phones that disables the cellphone above a given speed while on a public road.

Now the problem itself would be getting the Cell companies to install such software as a mandatory part of their product.


Resin

[beals1978]

So what if your in the passenger seat?

[alexandrews1981]

There is nothing wrong with having cell towers along highways, they are great for emergencies. We also don't need anyone governing the phones. The problem is irresponsible DRIVERS. And it's entirely to easy for any tom to get a Drivers license. I vehicle is a deadly weapon, and people are convicted of manslaughter, and homicide after deadly collisions. It is the DRIVERS responsibility to drive un-distracted. It is the governments responsibility to NOT issue drivers licences to irresponsible drivers.

I think people need to claim accountability for their OWN actions, not blame the phone makers.

[dwliudahl]

It's about time someone did something real about this texting crap. Why can't these losers just talk to each other? I don't think this PSA is quite graphic enough. These Earth people aren't smart enough to figure out that these stupid, trivial pastimes have horrendous consequences. But, they do say experience is the best teacher; do you really need to have a life altering accident to learn your lesson? Or can you learn the lesson from your neighbor's unfortunate experiences? Apparently common sense is not as abundant as it used to be.