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UAB hosts distracted driving demo, Stavrinos to speak on dangers

  • June 13, 2013

“Arrive Alive: Stop the Texts – Stop the Wrecks!” to be held June 24.

despina_stavrinos_webThe University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will host U-Haul and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange for a presentation on the impact of texting and driving, “Arrive Alive: Stop the Texts – Stop the Wrecks!”

The presentation is set to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 24, 2013, in the UAB Campus Recreation Center, 1513 University Blvd. UAB students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public are invited to participate. The free event will include the “Save-A-Life Tour, Distracted Driving Program” which includes high-intensity videos rolling on huge monitors, as well as simulated texting and driving activities and testimonials from people affected by the consequences of texting while driving.

In addition to U-Haul Executive Vice President Stuart Shoen and Strange, UAB’s Despina Stavrinos, Ph.D., director of the Translational Research for Injury Prevention (TRIP) Laboratory and assistant professor of psychology, will speak about the importance of driving without distraction to prevent deadly wrecks. Stavrinos will discuss her research on texting and driving and distracted drivers.

“Everyone thinks that they are great multitaskers,” Stavrinos said. “However, statistically this cannot be true when you consider that more than half a million people are injured due to distracted driving related incidents, with several thousand dying due to these incidents each year. Educational efforts such as this event are important for debunking faulty perceptions about using electronic devices behind the wheel.”

The Save-A-Life Tour will be available to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees who sign the Arrive Alive Safety Pledge will be entered into a drawing to win prizes.