Another Fatal Accident Reminds South Carolinians to Hang Up and Drive
The "Great Hang Up" campaign receives a boost from a South Carolina father who lost his teen daughter to distracted driving.
September 10, 2010
A grieving North Carolina father may seem like an unlikely advocate for South Carolina's "Great Hang Up" campaign, but Amos Johnson is trying to move on from a personal tragedy by encouraging others to act responsibly behind the wheel. His emotional story centers on the death of his 16-year-old daughter, Ashley Johnson. Ashley was on her way to work on July 23, 2010, when she apparently looked down to check a text message, drifted into and across the centerline, and struck a pickup head-on.Mr. Johnson's story is particularly poignant because he went to great lengths to teach his daughter the importance of remaining focused on the road while driving. He explains that he rode with her for a year while she was learning to drive, constantly reminding her about the dangers of being distracted, trying to drill into her how vital it was that she not talk or text behind the wheel. Clearly, due in no small part to his efforts, Ashley knew the potential consequences, but she didn't follow her own advice.
What Is the Great Hang Up?
The Great Hang Up is a nationwide movement to reduce the behaviors associated with distracted driving -- specifically the use of cell phones, PDAs and mobile texting devices. A variety of legislative bodies around the country have taken action to ban (for some or all drivers) the use of handheld devices to talk, text or check email. In fact, eight states have banned cell phones and PDAs outright, and more than 30 localities (including D.C., the Virgin Islands and Guam) have put limitations on texting behind the wheel.
The Great Hang Up program is a way to keep the issue of distracted driving in the public eye and quell the tide of distracted driving-related crashes, injuries and deaths. South Carolina does not have any statewide anti-cell phone/texting provisions in place, and the most recent measure died in committee when the legislature recessed at the end of July.
If you or a loved one have been injured by the reckless and negligent actions of a distracted driver, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area for more information about your legal rights and options.
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