Lake Havasu MPO launches countywide distracted-driving education campaign

The Lake Havasu Metropolitan Planning Organization on Tuesday introduced a 12-month distracted-driving education campaign that will run countywide and use local faces and settings to promote safer driving.

Vinny Gallegos, Lake Havasu MPO manager, told the Lake Havasu City Council the MPO executive board authorized a public-education focus on distracted driving and that the campaign will include video spots and a broad partner distribution plan across the region.

"This campaign is going to be countywide," Gallegos said, adding the MPO secured participation from neighboring jurisdictions. "We're hoping that when that's seen it'll trigger maybe a little bit of thought that, hey, I recognize the mayor, I recognize the police chief ... and we just hope that that'll be a reminder to the public again that there are distractions and to drive safe and to focus."

Why it matters: Council and staff said distracted driving is a recurring local safety concern and the campaign aims to reduce crashes and injuries through repeated public reminders rather than regulatory change.

What the campaign will do: Gallegos described a 12-month education push that uses two short videos featuring local officials and residents. The MPO will distribute the materials to city and county partners, including police and fire agencies, and run countywide placements. Gallegos said the MPO purposefully used local backgrounds and familiar faces to make the messages more resonant.

Facts cited in campaign materials shown at the meeting included on-screen statements in the videos: "9 percent of fatal crashes are caused by distraction" and "1,000 people are injured every day because of distracted driving." Gallegos and staff did not cite a specific statute during the presentation but the videos include the on-screen admonition: "Please don't drive distracted. It's the law."

Rollout and partners: Gallegos said the MPO has countywide support and is partnering with Kingman, Bullhead City and unincorporated Mohave County for the campaign. The MPO manager said he will send the videos and campaign materials by mass email to partner agencies, including the city's police and fire departments, and encouraged local leaders to help share the message.

Council reaction: Council members thanked Gallegos and city staff for the outreach, and the council received no public comment during the presentation. The city manager and mayor were shown in the campaign spots, as were other recognizable community figures, according to the MPO presentation.

What's next: The MPO will distribute the videos and materials to partner agencies and begin the yearlong campaign; the MPO manager said a partnership approach will increase visibility and encourage repeated reminders to drivers.

Ending: The council recognized the campaign as a public-education effort to address a recurring safety issue and did not take regulatory action at the meeting.