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Driver’s ed instructor urges ‘Put It Down’ anti-texting campaign; council considers formal support
Summary
A local driver’s-education instructor, Jeff Adams, showed a safety video and urged the council to adopt a resolution and school outreach to curb distracted driving; council supported bringing the item back for future agenda consideration and noted a new traffic officer will assist enforcement.
Jeff Adams, a local driver’s-education instructor, presented a short anti-texting campaign video called “Put It Down” to the Hurricane City Council and urged the city and schools to help promote the campaign to reduce distracted driving.
Adams recounted two incidents he witnessed of students driving while holding phones, including one where the driver held two phones while traveling at about 45 mph. He told the council he had provided a photograph and that officers subsequently stopped the vehicle. Adams said he posted the video on a high-school website and hoped the city and county would consider a resolution and educational outreach to discourage texting while driving.
Mayor Billings and council members expressed support for the message. Staff said the city has hired a traffic officer specifically to address traffic-safety initiatives, and the mayor said he had drafted a letter of support to the county. Council members asked staff to place the item on a future agenda so the council can consider a resolution and coordinate with local schools and county enforcement.
Why it matters: Distracted driving is a leading cause of traffic incidents; council members indicated community support for education and enforcement efforts tied to a new traffic officer and possible intergovernmental coordination.
Next steps: Staff to place a resolution or action item on a future council agenda to consider formal endorsement and outreach options with local schools and the county.
