We received a packet of information on the latest campaign from WGBH and the Connecticut Department of Transportation for the Just Drive program with Ruff Ruffman. I received this because I am a PBS Kids VIP (Very Involved Parent)

Driving safety is a very important topic. Parents need to be good examples to their kids and put their phones away while driving. This means checking the phone at stop lights and other places that it may seem “safe” to do. The initiative is a partnership between WGBH and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. They are launching “Game Over,” a digital initiative that empowers non-driving kids nationwide to prevent parents or other adults from distracted driving, with the help of a beloved animated PBS KIDS character, Ruff Ruffman.

Tapping into children’s “nag power,” the campaign’s approach uses the idea that kids have been successful in encouraging their parents to quit smoking, to wear seatbelts and to recycle – likewise, they can play an active role in helping parents to keep their eyes on the road, using their “nag power” for good (instead of that candy bar at check out). To help get the conversation started, here are some additional resources for families:

· Ruff Ruffman Website: features quizzes and games, and a guide for parents.

· Distracted Driving Video: explains the dangers of distracted driving with a catchy, original song, “Just Drive,” a humorous take on n this important topic and warns of the dangers of multitasking while driving.

· Safe Driving Pledge: families are encouraged to print and sign a “Safe Driving Pledge” as a reminder not to text and drive.

Connecticut Department of Transportation and WGBH Boston Launch Safe Driving Initiative With PBS Kids Character Ruff Ruffman “Game Over: Empowering Kids to Prevent Distracted Driving” Encourages Kids to Help Parents Change Texting and Driving Behaviors to Promote Safer Driving

BOSTON and HARTFORD, Conn., Dec. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program and public media producer WGBH have teamed up to launch “Game Over,” a safe driving initiative that empowers kids to prevent distracted driving, with the help of a beloved animated PBS KIDS character, Ruff Ruffman.

At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving.[1] This first-of-its-kind project hopes to turn the tide on texting and driving.

Nationwide, more than 3,000 people died in 2013 in crashes involving a distracted driver, while more than half a million were injured.[2] Over 1,300 people are injured every day on the nation’s highways as a result of a distracted driving crash.[3]

“We understand that the proliferation of mobile devices means that this will be a difficult habit for people to break, which is why we are advocating for our best, and most vocal allies — our children — to speak up,” says Connecticut DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker. “Connecticut has been a national leader in the field of distracted driving prevention. This partnership with WGBH represents our state’s continued commitment to finding innovative ways to connect with the public and educate them that this behavior presents a real danger to them and their families. The integration of the popular character Ruff Ruffman represents another way to change behavior by encouraging non-driving age children to tell their parents not to text and drive. This is a terrific complement to our existing distracted driving programming.”

The State of Connecticut was the only state in the nation to receive a federal grant for this program.

The “Game Over” digital initiative provides resources to encourage kids to become better passengers and to play an active role in helping parents to keep their eyes on the road. The campaign’s unusual approach tunes into the idea that kids are acutely aware of their parents’ distraction, especially when they are driving.

“Anecdotally, kids have been successful in encouraging their parents to quit smoking, to wear seatbelts and to recycle. When kids become vocal advocates, parents may change their habits,” explains Bill Shribman, WGBH Senior Executive Producer and the project’s creator. “With the deployment of Ruff Ruffman, who continues to resonate with non-driving age children, and our suggestion of some gentle nagging, we can provide kids with a strategy to help parents keep their eyes on the road and to even be good co-pilots, in charge of the phone while their parents drive.”

For “Game Over,” WGBH’s Children’s Media has produced a rich set of complementary materials for children and adults featuring the popular animated character Ruff Ruffman. Ruff, a cartoon dog, is the host of Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius, a PBS KIDS online media and technology series. It has generated 40 million video streams since its launch last year and won a Parent’s Choice Gold Award.

The safe driving initiative on the Ruff Ruffman website features an animated video explaining the dangers of distracted driving (Ruff learns he can’t play his driving game and be on the phone at the same time) and a catchy, original song, “Just Drive,” which takes a humorous angle on this important topic and warns of the dangers of multitasking while driving. Families will also be encouraged to print and sign a Safe Driving Pledge and to display it in a prominent place in the home as a reminder not to text and drive. Other “Game Over” elements include a quiz from Ruff asking questions about driving and offering appropriate feedback; polls about technology use; a guide for parents to explain the video content; background information for parents about the hazards of distracted driving; and real letters from kids about their own families’ distracted driving experiences.

About Ruff Ruffman Online
The Ruff Ruffman website on PBS KIDS is designed to inspire kids to explore the world around them in a fun and entertaining way. Based on characters from WGBH’s award-winning broadcast series, FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman, the new Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius project marries the playful tone of the FETCH! with contemporary ideas of how to be both smart and safe using media and technology.

About CT DOT
The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Governor’s Highway Safety Office aims to reduce fatalities and injuries as a result of traffic crashes. The HSO advocates for many forms of traffic safety but has had a particular focus on distracted driving in recent years. The state has been chosen to pilot two national research programs measuring the effects of driver distraction dating back to 2009. Connecticut is currently the only state to qualify to receive distracted driving prevention funding from the federal government. These funds are used to create a multi-faceted approach to changing driver behavior including enforcement and public information and education campaigns.

About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Curious George and more than a dozen other primetime, lifestyle and children’s series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio and oversees Public Radio International (PRI). As a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, WGBH supplies content to PBS LearningMedia, a national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH also is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors. More info at www.wgbh.org.

[1] National Occupant Protection Use Survey, 2015
[2] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
[3] NHTSA