Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell Partners with Parents Against Distracted Driving on Atlanta’s 2013 Safety and Mentor Fair

Atlanta, GA, August 03, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell shows his support to Parents Against Distracted Driving (P.A.D.D.) by joining forces to host Atlanta’s Safety and Mentor Fair held on August 31, 2013 at the Atlanta Civic Center. The 2013 theme is “ARRIVE ALIVE! DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE.” “I am excited about partnering with P.A.D.D. and Founder Cynthia Williams to bring an even greater awareness to the extreme dangers associated with distracted driving,” Council President Mitchell said. “Too many lives have been tragically loss because drivers simply refuse to pay attention while behind the wheel of their vehicles.”

P.A.D.D. is in its’ 7th year hosting what has now become a well sought after program. “I became aware of Ms. Williams work during an event highlighting distracted driving,” City Council President Mitchell mentions. Williams explains, each year at the fair a mock demonstration is executed by means of a fatal car crash, funeral service, trial jury, and a jail sentencing. “I want the audience to visualize every aspect of what families experience when they lose a child as a result of distracted driving.”

Georgia is among the states making strides in addressing the deadly issue of distracted driving. “I was pleased to see the State of Georgia pass legislation banning texting while driving. However, the law must be met with increased awareness of the devastation distracted driving can have on our communities,” reports Mitchell. States are making more targeted outreach efforts, recognizing a bill alone will not provide the solution to distracted driving, widely referred to as an epidemic.

While distracted drivers encompass all ages, “more states are targeting teens with educational materials, as they are both at greatest risk for crashes and the strongest adopters of new technology.” Williams, well aware of the statistics, designs a program each year that will appeal to the young and old alike, but will have the greatest impact on teens. “In addition to the mock demonstration, P.A.D.D. has scheduled 7 Teen Workshops addressing issues facing our youth today: bullying, teen pregnancy, drugs and alcohol, literacy, gang violence, and gun violence,” Williams chronicles the agenda for the day of event.

P.A.D.D. is a 501c non-profit organization established as a support group for families who have been affected by the loss of a child as a result of a fatal car crash. This program is borne out of the Love From Afar – The Christopher Allen Foundation created by Cynthia Williams in 2006 after the death of her son at the hands of a distracted driver.