McLEAN, Va. — The Washington Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman is asking you to ignore your phone while driving.
“Focus on the road and not on the phone when in the car,” Zimmerman said of the pledge he is asking young drivers to make.
At an event Wednesday launching the “Phones Down. Home Run” campaign at McLean High School, Zimmerman told students it’s “crazy” that one in five fatal crashes can be blamed on distracted driving.
“And if you see a friend, a colleague or even your parents — you’re allowed to tell your parents what to do when you see them doing that,” Zimmerman said.
After a news conference with Zimmerman and multiple sponsors of the campaign, WTOP asked students what they learned. Responses included:
Some students at McLean High school shared their take-away from the “Phones Down. Home Run” event:
- “Focus when you’re on the road.”
- “Don’t text and drive.
- “Don’t drive distracted, it’ll kill you.
- “No text is worth your life.”
AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend said he hopes the children embrace what they’ve learned.
“Thirty percent of high school students in this area have confessed to texting while driving in the last 30 days,” Townsend said. “And, we suspect that number is even higher.”
“Phones Down. Home Run” road safety campaign is sponsored by Transurban.
