When Chiropractor Dr. Mitchell Greenberg of Injury Treatment Solutions starting practicing in Brevard twenty years ago, he found a niche treating people who had been injured in car accidents because other doctors didn’t want to get involved, “I liked the challenge of it,” he says.

After seeing more and more patients whose accidents were cell phone related, Dr. Greenberg was inspired to do something about it and created the nonprofit “Hang Up ‘N Drive” an initiative to inform and educate the public about the dangers of cell phone use and driving.

Hang Up & Drive hosts events to promote safety messages and raise funds to donate to individuals and families who have been negatively affected by crashes associated with talking or texting while driving. Since its inception, “Hang Up ‘N Drive” has been accepted by the Brevard County School Board and with the support of Health First, Brevard County Sheriff’s Department and Brevard County Firefighters as well.

Dr. Greenberg offers countless stories of people who have been affected- from families who can no longer pay their bills because they are unable to work or patients who are paralyzed as a result of an accident.  Dr. Greenburg hopes to one day take the Hang Up ‘N Drive message to a national level.

On April 23 Hang Up and Drive will host an inaugural “Hang Up ‘N Drive Day” for teens and parents to raise awareness and funds.

The primary focus of the event is a teen driving course that will be set up for teens to drive first with no distractions, a second time with instructors speaking to them on their cell phones while they are driving through the course and a third time with instructors texting with them while they are driving through the course. The event will also raise funds to help people and families who have been negatively affected by a loved one who was injured in an automobile accident that was the result of a cell phone distraction.

Event Details:

April 23, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Melbourne Square Mall Parking Lot

Auto Driving Test Course for Teens, Live Music, Local Teen DJ Spin Off Contest, Car Show, A Stunt Bike Show, Drifting, Mixed Martial Arts Demonstration, Carnival, food and fun. The event is for all ages.

FACTS:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2008 that driver distraction was the cause of 16 percent of all fatal crashes — 5,800 people killed — and 21 percent of crashes resulting in an injury — 515,000 people wounded. According to AAA, nearly 50 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.

Studies conducted by Virginia Tech found that text messaging resulted in the longest duration of “eyes off road time” — 4.6 seconds over a six-second interval.

“This equates to a driver traveling the length of a football field (100 yards at 55 miles per hour without looking at the roadway.”

For more information visit

www.HangUpNDrive.net