Distracted Driving Presentation Planned for Thursday

A Saucon Valley resident who is the parent of three teenage daughters is hopeful that a presentation she's created based upon in-depth research about distracted driving will help make local roads safer for everyone.

Research nurse Jane Hoff is the founder of Take A STANDD, Inc. Stop Texting and Distracted Driving, a nonprofit, 501c3 organization whose goal is to educate the public on the hazards of distracted driving.

"This is not just an awareness campaign, but rather a complete education and research program aimed at decreasing accidents associated with driving distracted," Hoff said.

In an interview, Hoff explained that her campaign was partly inspired by an accident that last year nearly claimed the life of Saucon Valley High School student Amanda Illingworth, but emphasized that Take A STANDD, Inc. is not affiliated with the Saucon Valley School District.

Illingworth suffered a torn aorta when, on March 10, 2011, she was in a car accident near the school district campus that was related to distracted driving.

In a presentation scheduled to be held in the Saucon Valley High School auditorium this Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30am, Hoff said attendees will have the opportunity to learn about how cell phone use can affect brain signals and cause something known as "inattention blindness."

Inattention blindness produces delayed reaction times among drivers, and can have tragic consequences, Hoff said.

Although Illingworth will not be taking part in the presentation at Saucon Valley High School, Hoff said she has reached out to about 15 other local school districts in hopes of bringing the Take A STANDD, Inc. presentation--and possibly Illingworth's first-hand account of the trauma she survived--to their students.

The free presentation is 30 to 40 minutes long and "interactive," Hoff said, adding that participants have the ability to "text in their answers" to questions posed during the talk. 

At the end of the presentation, a British video about the dangers of distracted driving will be shown.

Hoff said she is currently working in partnership with St. Luke's Hospital to create a Take A STANDD, Inc. video that will feature Illingworth and her story, and explained that the American Automobile Association (AAA) East Central, East Penn Region has also agreed to become one of her organization's "performance partners."

St. Luke's Hospital is funding the creation of a website for Take A STANDD, Inc., www.TakeAStand.org, which Hoff said she expects to be live in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, Hoff is applying for grants to help pay for the materials she will use in the presentation, which she said she hopes to share with as many area students as possible before Prom season begins.

"It's fun, it's energetic, it's really informative," she said of the program, adding that she ultimately hopes to take it to audiences across the nation.

Anyone can attend the Thursday presentation at the school, but members of the public will need to sign in at the school office first.

For more information about Take A STANDD, Inc., Hoff can be reached at 484-678-0901.