Texting & Driving: New R.I. Nonprofit Joins The Fight

Since my last blog, I have had an "only in Rhode Island experience" that I hope contributes to positive change. In my law practice, I have seen first hand injuries caused by distracted driving, especially texting and driving. Since writing about this topic ( and here), I was recently contacted by a fledgling local nonprofit entity that is also raising awareness on this issue called S.A.D.T.A.D. - "Stay Alive, Don't Text and Drive." This group has been started by Johnston resident Donna Nardolillo who is passionate about the issue.

Last weekend, Donna set up a booth at the Johnston Apple Festival to collect email addresses and small donations. She invited me and it was exciting and unforgettable to have the opportunity to talk with Rhode Islanders about their experiences with distracted drivers ... almost everyone in our local communities had a story about drivers causing accidents or nearly causing accidents due to this completely preventable conduct!

Honestly, its not like SADTAD is trailblazing any new ground here... celebrities like Oprah (see her "no phone zone") and big companies like AT&T have been fighting this fight recently. However, maybe with some local support we can get a few drivers here to change their behaviors and perhaps even catch the attention of a politician or two. If you support the mission to raise public awareness about this issue please consider "liking" SADTAD's FB page right here or contacting SADTAD right here.