Kids & Family

End Texting And Driving With A Honk of Your Horn

Belmont resident John Carson's experience with a driver who was texting has him spearheading a grassroots effort to halt texting while driving.

Three years ago, John Carson experienced what frequent bike riders or those who commute cycling fear the most: getting hit by a vehicle. In Carson's case, the Belmont resident was thrown onto a car's hood and through the windshield.

While the accident was horrible enough for Carson and his family, what made this accident doubly terrifying was that it needn't have occurred: the driver was suspected of texting at the time and didn't see Carson until the time of impact. 

Fast forward three years to yesterday morning, Thursday, Nov. 7, and you will have found dozens of students in front of the Winn Brook Elementary holding signs to get the message out: "No Texting and Driving."

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Yesterday at the Winn Brook and a month earlier on Trapelo Road near the Butler Elementary School, kids came to school early to hold signs for 30 minutes, letting drivers know the importance of not texting while driving.  The signs read “If you don’t text and drive, we won’t text and drive", "Put Down Your Phone, Children Ahead" and the most popular "Don’t Text and Drive: Honk if You Agree.”

According to the beeping horns at each site, Carson's message is being heard. 

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At the Butler, with kids only on one side of Trapelo Road, they received 293 honks from passersby. Students at the Winn Brook, who had signs on both sides of Brighton Street, counted 453 honks.

The Belmont father of three spearheading the events said the problem of texting and driving is not just a problem with the youngest drivers.

“My belief is too much attention is focused on telling teenagers to not text and drive, while ignoring the larger population of drivers, adults," said Carson.

"Whether it's mom or dad figuring out dinner plans while running from soccer practices, or a contractor or real estate agent coordinating their next meeting, it is getting ridiculous,” said Carson  

Carson said he isn’t shy about saying he looked at his phone from time to time before his accident, but never again.

“You can put all the laws you want in place, the greatest impact on people will be guilt. This is why we asked young elementary kids to give the message,” he said.

Carson hopes to do the same events at the Burbank and Wellington elementary schools with the support of the parents and the kids in the coming months.  

And don't forget to honk.


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