New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission

MEDIA RELEASE

JustDrive.com 125: NASCAR comes to Jersey
MVC and NASCAR team up to stop distracted driving at New Jersey Motorsports Park

(MILLVILLE) – On Saturday, June 16, thousands of NASCAR fans at New Jersey Motorsports Park were reminded of the dangers of texting and driving as they gathered for the third annual JustDrive.com 125 – an exciting collaboration between the racing organization and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

“We are thrilled to be working with NASCAR and New Jersey Motorsports Park to present the JustDrive.com 125 for the third year in a row,” said MVC Chairman and Chief Administrator Sue Fulton. “For the past two years, this event has had a tremendous impact on our efforts to educate motorists about the dangers of this reckless behavior. It’s not enough to simply tell people about fines and penalties – we all must work together to reach drivers before they get a ticket or are involved in a crash. Our message is simple: Be safe – just drive.”  

The race is a part of the NASCAR K&N Series East, a regional stock car racing series which serves as the top step in NASCAR’s developmental ladder before drivers progress to the three national series. The race introduces fans to the next generation of racing stars. This partnership also allows the MVC to promote its JustDrive.com campaign to a broad range of motorsports fans.

“We are excited to welcome back JustDrive.com as the sponsor for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at NJMP this weekend,” said Brad Scott, NJMP Chief Operating Officer. “Our facility is honored to be partnering with such a great initiative as JustDrive.com for the third straight year.”

The MVC’s JustDrive.com campaign offers a wealth of information on the laws governing cell phone use while driving in New Jersey and the risks and dangers of talking or texting while behind the wheel. In addition to an interactive website, the campaign is featured on billboards statewide, as well as in radio and TV advertisements. The goal is to reach drivers so they understand how they put their lives – and the lives of others – in danger every time they touch their phones when they are behind the wheel.

One study conducted by AAA showed that talking or texting while driving is the number one distraction among newly-licensed drivers. Another study developed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) revealed that reaching for a phone, dialing, texting and other uses of portable devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times.

"Given these startling statistics, continuing to talk or text while driving is just plain irresponsible," said Fulton.

For more information, please visit www.justdrive.com.