On Sept. 17, 2013, 10TV Sports Anchor Dom Tiberi and his wife, Terri, lost their daughter
Maria in a car accident. While the specific cause of the accident remains unknown, police believe it was a case of distracted driving. The tragic accident ended the life of a beautiful, vibrant young lady, but may very likely be saving lives of countless individuals for years to come.
Maria Tiberi’s legacy is now known as “Maria’s Message,” a community initiative supported by WBNS 10TV that is focused on building awareness about the dangers and consequences of distracted driving. Through the Maria Tiberi Foundation, founded by her parents, an educational initiative presented in communities and using driving simulators helps spread Maria’s Message.
With the gift of two driving simulators to the Westerville Division of Police, the foundation is making a local impact on the effort to educate teens about texting while driving – among other distractions – and reducing preventable injuries associated with distracted driving. Last April, Dom and 10TV staff partnered with WPD and Otterbein University to launch a series of community presentations. The regional touch is one way to engage in an interactive discussion about what really happens when distracted drivers get behind the wheel.
“We as parents should be screaming from a mountaintop because car crashes are the No. 1 killer of our children, and it is so preventable. My wife, Terri, and I have made it our mission to end this epidemic (of distracted driving) and to keep other families from going through this nightmare. Maria is just a memory now, and we don’t want any other kids to be just a memory,” said Dom.
Maria’s Message emphasizes three main types of distracted driving: manual, visual and cognitive. Manual refers to physically taking your hands off the wheel; visual means taking your eyes off the road; and cognitive is letting your mind wander while driving. For many young drivers, these three conditions often happen when texting while driving. In fact, sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the entire length of a football field blind.
“Distracted driving, particularly with young drivers texting while behind the wheel, is having a major impact when we look at traffic accidents, including those resulting in death or a major injury,” said Westerville Chief of Police Joseph Morbitzer. “Our partnership with the Maria Tiberi Foundation is going to help us reach students in a real, hands-on way that we didn’t have before. With these simulators, we can demonstrate how quickly and easily sending or reading a text message can turn a drive into a serious and sometimes deadly situation.”
The simulators will be part of an educational initiative Westerville police use to talk to students about distracted driving and ways to improve defensive driving skills.
“We’re grateful to Dom Tiberi and the 10TV staff for bringing Maria’s Message to us. Westerville has a long history of supporting important initiatives that help us all live in a safer, stronger community,” said Westerville Mayor Diane Fosselman. “I urge everyone to take the message to heart and think about the way you can personally contribute to honor Maria Tiberi by eliminating distractions when you drive.”
For more information, please visit www.mariasmessage.com.
Sidebar/Box:
Parents, ask your children to take the Maria's Message Pledge:
I PLEDGE TO:
Keep my hands on the wheel,
Keep my eyes on the road,
Keep my mind on driving.
If I keep my hands, eyes and mind where they should, I can keep myself safe and keep Maria’s Message alive.
