Gardner-White, TV Station Team to Fight "Distracted Driving"

February 7, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on February 8, 2010

Gardner White Furniture, Warren, Mich., has teamed up with WXYZ-TV to further Oprah Winfrey's initiative against distracted driving.

On Saturday evening, Gardner-White sponsored WXYZ's re-broadcast of Oprah's No Phone Zone Show, which originally aired on Jan. 18. The re-broadcast reached viewers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe, Lapeer, St. Clair and Sanilac Counties.

Oprah's No Phone Zone Show has helped spark a nationwide movement against distracted diving.

"Distracted driving is a dangerous, life-threatening practice that has become all too commonplace." said Bob Sliva, the station's vice president and general manager. "That's why we are proud to have joined forces with The Oprah Winfrey Show and Gardner White Furniture to address this problem and the significance of the No Phone Zone pledge to our viewers."

In 2008, distracted driving caused 16 percent of all highway fatalities and more than 515,000 accidents. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia now have laws preventing texting while driving, and 23 more are considering them. Six states and the District of Columbia now ban handheld cell phones while driving.

Following the re-broadcast, viewers were asked to take Oprah's NO-Phone Zone Pledge at Gardner-White stores, where they can register to win a Big Picture Furniture Package, as well as tickets to an Oprah taping in her Chicago Studio.

Gardner-White also is using social media to get local residents to take the pledge.

"The interaction of a Broadcast Television Network, a local business leader, and the Social Media communities is an ideal way to get the word out," said Leslie Carothers, of the Kaleidoscope Partnership, who has been building communities for Gardner-White on Twitter and Facebook. "Parents connected to our communities are now reaching out to their own communities for participation. Distracted Driving affects everyone."

"We want to use our media presence to help save lives," said Garder-White Owner Barb Tronstein. "We are grateful to Channel 7 and Oprah Winfrey for allowing us to help. Leslie has done a great job online. If you look on our Facebook page you will see photos of distracted driving accidents. The larger tragedy is that these accidents are 100 percent preventable."