CATS Launches New Personal Responsibility Safety Campaign

Charlotte Area Transit System is serious about safety and is promoting a new campaign that focuses on making citizens a partner in safety. CATS is asking the public to take the pledge to stay alert and avoid distractions.

According to the Charlotte Department of Transportation, distracted driving accounts for 25 percent of all accidents in the Charlotte area — including those involving pedestrians. Citizens can go to pledgetostayalert.com to pledge to stay alert whether they are driving, walking or biking.  So far, nearly 200 people have taken the pledge.

“Texting, looking at your phone, listening to loud music on headphones and doing other things that steal your attention while driving, walking and biking compromise your personal safety,” said Levern McElveen, general manager of safety for CATS. “You become less alert and less aware of your surroundings, which creates the opportunity for an accident involving you, and possibly, others.”

In the first four months of fiscal year 2016 (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016), CATS buses traveled nearly 5 million miles with a preventable accident rate of 0.25 per 100,000 miles. CATS strives to keep that number low. 

“Partnering with the public and educating them that safety is everyone’s responsibility is crucial to keeping our community safe and accident rates low,” McElveen said.

Citizens may see ads on the front of CATS buses, hear radio ads, and receive social media posts calling on them to take the pledge.

For more safety tips, visit ridetransit.org.