Red thumbs to remind distracted drivers

by Jolene Perron

A movement that began in California is circulating the globe and has made it’s way to Windsor.

With distracted driving fines increasing in Ontario, Windsor residents are asked to be more vigilant on the roads. Matt D’Asti, public information officer for the Windsor Police Services, said statistically the numbers say it all.

“Even if you think you’re the master of multitasking we simply know statistically you’re taking your eyes off the roadway and looking at that device is going to cause a potential fatal incident,” D’Asti said. “So please put it away and wait.”

An online video is going viral with a new tactic. Steve Babcock, who lives in Boulder Colo., said he found “an old-school solution to a new world problem” when searching for ways to stop texting and driving. Similar to tying a piece of string to a finger in an effort to remember a task, Babcock began painting his thumbnail red. The bright red nail was the only thing standing between him and his screen when he was driving and he said he just couldn’t get past the bright red thumb reminding him to stop.

Between 20 and 30 per cent of collisions across the country involve distracted drivers, according to the Canadian Automobile Association. Babcock was encouraged by colleagues at his workplace, The Evolution Bureau in San Francisco, to make a video and spread the word. The video illustrates his idea and encourages other drivers to give it a try.

The video has had over 300,000 views on YouTube since its upload Dec. 6, 2013.
“Collectively there’s a little over a million and a half views of the video that we’ve been able to track,” said Babcock. “It’s been all grassroots so far. I don’t have any money so I’m relying on the Internet and social channels. I continue to look for opportunities to get the word out.”

Local distracted driving fines have increased to $280 as of March 18. D’Asti said it’s a step in the right direction.

“The distracted driving in itself is obviously a big problem on our roadways today,” said D’Asti. “All of us have this feeling that ‘oh I can multitask, I’m able to perform these things and get my text’ but that’s not the case. It takes only a mere second of attention and it can lead to fatal results … we know there’s tragedies happening on our roadways across the province of Ontario and that is why the government has taken this initial step forward to raise the fines and it is to bring awareness to everybody.”

D’Asti said he has also heard the government’s consideration to create further legislation, adding demerit points to the fine. He said this would be another positive step to get people’s attention.
Babcock said he heard of the red thumbs movement making it’s way in Canada as well as Mexico and even Dubai, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates federation.

“I guess that’s the power of social and the Internet, everything is now local,” said Babcock. “We even have a beauty pageant sponsor from Texas. Her big initiative is distracted driving and she reached out and said she would like to be our official sponsor so I’m hopeful that in the next beauty pageant on TV we’ll see Miss Texas with a red thumb.”

In the future, Babcock hopes the Red Thumb Reminder will be able to attract attention of a finger nail polish company such as Sephora. For now, he said if even one accident is prevented by this movement then all of his efforts were more than worth it.