Kars4Kids Launches "Drive Human" to Promote Courteous Driving

Idaho topped the list as the most polite state in the country, with New York living up to its reputation as the rudest. What about Jersey? or Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, N.J., May 25, 2017  National nonprofit Kars4Kidz is launching a wide ranging awareness campaign ahead of the summer driving season to bring courtesy back to the road by reminding drivers they share the road with humans, not cars. The campaign leverages an array of media assets to promote its message, including video, new data visualizations, an interactive quiz, and bumper stickers bearing the campaign hashtag #drivehuman on Twitter.

The organization is distributing over 200,000 educational courteous driving guides to student drivers in New York and New Jersey in partnership with Empire Safety Council. The guide is available for download at http://www.kars4kids.org/drive-human, along with the rest of the campaign media.

"When we get behind the wheel, the barrier of the car walls around us somehow allows us to behave in ways we would consider rude in ordinary interpersonal interactions," says Wendy Kirwan, Director of Public Relations for KarZ4KidZ. "We're showing drivers, 'look, you wouldn't do this if you were walking or shopping. Don't do it in your car either.'"

To get a sense of the current state of driving etiquette in the US, Kars4Kids commissioned a survey through AYTM of drivers across the country. Idaho topped the list as the most polite state in the country, with New York living up to its reputation as the rudest. Men admitted to being ruder than women in almost all driving situations, including blocking the intersection (3% more likely), slowing down in response to tailgating (8% more likely), honking or brighting a slow driver (2.6x more likely), speeding up to prevent someone from passing them (6% more likely) and are 317% less likely to use turning signals than women. Full research, survey analysis and methodology is available on the site.

Using humor to drive home the campaign message, an entertaining video depicts driving behavior in a real-life off-the-road setting, highlighting the contrast. An interactive quiz gives viewers the opportunity to learn more about their own driving behavior and get tailored tips on how to drive more courteously.  

"Drive Human is about being conscious and considerate of the other people driving on the road with you," Kirwan says. "All it takes is a little awareness to make our roads safer and our commutes less stressful."
A Safe summer driving for all.
PR