Distracted driving is a factor in approximately four million vehicle collisions in North America every year, according to figures from the CAA.
Seemingly innocent actions such as reaching for a ringing phone, sending a quick text or engaging with a chatty passenger has proven to have devastating impacts on the safety of our roads.
As major players in the automotive industry and a main contact at the vehicle point-of-sale, dealers are uniquely positioned as powerful influencers of driving habits in their local communities.
As a customer prepares to drive off the lot in their new car, there’s a valuable opportunity to reinforce the perils of driver inattention to a captive audience.
On Mar. 1, 2017, the annual Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving Campaign will launch nationwide for its third year running.
During the month-long awareness campaign, hundreds of dealers in every province will band together to help educate their customers around positive driving habits, asking them to make the official pledge against distracted driving before they leave the dealership.
Dealers will be invited to actively participate in the campaign this year by visiting the campaign website, distractionfree.ca, to order a free point-of-sale kit.
The campaign kits, which contain marketing collateral designed to help kick start the important conversation with customers, will be available for pre-order in December and remain available through to Feb. 3.
The point-of-sale kits will be mailed to participants in time for the March push and will include campaign-branded mirror danglers, key tags, pens and customizable posters.
To complement the in-store materials, dealers will also have access to a range of digital tools to help maximize their online outreach through websites, social media, industry press and more.
The Auto Dealers Against Distracted Driving Campaign is organized and led by LGM Financial Services, which has championed the cause from the beginning.
The campaign has grown steadily since its inception in 2015. More than 700 dealers registered to participate last year; they collectively gathered roughly 4,000 pledges against distracted driving. This year, the campaign goal is to at least double the number of pledges to more than 8,000.
For more information on the campaign and to learn how to get involved, visit distractionfree.ca or follow LGM’s campaign coverage on Twitter: @LGMCanada
