Chick-Fil-A and Gary Barbera Join Forces in Roosevelt Boulevard Safety Campaign - “Don't Text and Drive”

CHICK-FIL-A AND GARY BARBERA JOIN FORCES IN ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD SAFETY CAMPAIGN

“DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE”

Picture cars zooming past you and your phone buzzing. Today, everyone wants to be connected to their phones even when driving. And because Gary Barbera cares about every driver, he has joined forces with the Chick-Fil-A and rolled out a charity program committed to ending texting and driving.

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The “Don’t Text and Drive” public service awareness campaign has grown on local media as the effort to transform Roosevelt Boulevard accelerates. It’s important for residents, visitors, employees and commuters, including those who walk, wheel, transit, bike and drive Roosevelt Boulevard (RT. 1 /Philadelphia, PA) to have a more inviting road that is safe, accessible and reliable. This “can’t come soon enough” according to Duane Pierce, owner of the highly visited Chick-fil-a franchise on Rt. 1.

As others have done before, Pierce sought out Gary Barbera to help increase the awareness effort. Pierce said, “With Barbera’s marketing expertise and high profile we’ll certainly get the message out!” Ending texting and driving will save lives each and every year.

Philadelphia has a high traffic crash rate, and every year in Philadelphia, the residents are subject to approximately 10,000 traffic crashes. These crashes take the lives of around 100 people each year in Philadelphia, and severely injuring 250 more. Vision Zero has a Three-Year Action Plan that is a result of the collaboration of various governmental agencies, as well as community and advocacy groups.

Both Barbera and Pierce support Vison Zero, which is a strategy that Philadelphia has taken on to end texting and driving. This is a plan meant to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and severe injuries, while increasing safety, health and mobility for the people of Philadelphia.

Barbera was raised in Northeast Philadelphia and went to Archbishop Ryan High School. His business is right on Roosevelt Boulevard, and he knows the awareness campaign is a perfect fit for his “Barbera Cares” program, which is focused on the local community. “The length across the Boulevard is the same as a football field” Barbera said. “Safety begins with awareness; and that’s what our #1 goal is.”

According to Barbera, he “found a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that sums it all up.” The quote is, “Nobody knows how much you know until they know how much you care.” The campaign has been embraced for its universal message and core value to every resident and visitor. “Look, I’m a local boy” Barbera said, “the Boulevard has gotten really bad and we must do whatever we have to do to make it right again – and we will!

Gary Barbera Cares is a charity program set up to benefit youth programs in the greater Delaware Valley area, including metro Philadelphia, Southeastern Pa and Southern New Jersey. Through various charities and programs, Gary Barbera’s goal is to donate time and money to enhance the lives of the less fortunate.

This charity program recommends the following to help drivers minimize texting while driving habit.

Utilize ‘do not disturb’: Whenever your phone lights up with a notification, it’s nearly impossible for you to ignore it. Instagram notifications, emails, Snapchats, texts, and other notifications are constantly popping up on phones. Use ‘do not disturb’ option to eliminate all distractions associated with your phone while driving.

Set up auto-reply: Depending on the type of phone you are using, you can download apps that can auto-reply your text messages. This will help your friends and family you aren’t ignoring them.

Turn it off: While this isn’t the most appealing option, it’s the best. With your phone off, you can keep your hands on the steering wheel and your attention focused on the road.

For more information about the Don’t Text and Drive initiative and other ongoing efforts to better the community, go to www.garybarberacares.org.