Love Story
Our Gen Z Focused Research Study
Project Yellow Light commissioned a study with Suzy Market Research. The consumer insights platform surveyed 1,026 drivers for the study, of which 25% were 16-24.
Among 16–24-year-old drivers:
- 86% admit to using social media in their car.
- 12% have been in an accident because of phone use / distracted driving and 15% have been in a near accident.
- This is drastically higher than older drivers: 4.5x more accidents and 9x more near accidents due to distracted driving than 25-45-year-old drivers (2.8% & 1.6%, respectively).
- 1 in 5 admit to using their phone at low speeds
- 87% have seen social posts or videos recorded in a car
- 62% admit to having created a post, video, or story in their car
- 60% say a social notification has caught their attention when driving.
- 71% say their phone is ALWAYS within reach (vs 58% gen pop)
- 67% say notifications routinely interrupt what they’re doing (typically or often)
And while driving…
- 41% admit to routinely clicking on notifications from social media
- 34% say they routinely responded to a DM on social media
- 22% scrolled through their social feed while driving
- 27% drive their phone in their lap, which is EXPONENTIALLY higher than older drivers:
- 5x more likely than 25-45 year old drivers, nearly 3x higher than 46-60 year olds drivers, 10x higher than 61+ drivers
About Julie
Julie Garner is a 30-year veteran of The Martin Agency, an advertising firm located in Richmond, VA. She also is co-founder of Project Yellow Light, a national scholarship competition for high school, college and trade school students designed to encourage safe driving habits. This project is especially significant to Julie as her 16-year-old son, Hunter, was killed in a car crash.
Since its inception, Project Yellow Light has captured national attention and reaches thousands of students each year. It’s proud to be in partnership with the Ad Council, Clear Channel Outdoor, Elephant Insurance, iHeart Media, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Project Yellow Light, in collaboration with The Martin Agency and Le Pac, will debut a powerful, PSA short film titled “Love Story” on April 2nd, highlighting the dangers of distracted driving. This film follows two teenage best friends as they navigate the excitement of young adulthood, love, and the freedom of driving. Amidst their journey, they fail to recognize the imminent danger of distracted driving—until it’s too late.
About the campaign
Insight
Distracted driving is hazardous, and it’s not just about texting. More and more people, especially influencers, are creating content while driving, which makes the problem worse.
What is Project Yellow Light?
Project Yellow Light’s aim is to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, especially the use of handheld devices while behind the wheel. Julie and her family transformed her grief into Project Yellow Light’s scholarship competition that encourages high school and college students to create PSAs promoting safe driving habits. Winning entries receive scholarships and the opportunity to be featured nationwide on billboards, radio, and TV, inspiring young people to use their creativity to make a positive impact and save lives on the road.
About the Film & Campaign
Launching April 2nd for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Love Story is a powerful PSA short film from Project Yellow Light, created in partnership with The Martin Agency and Le Pac. The film follows two teenage best friends as they navigate the excitement of young adulthood, love, and the freedom of driving—until one moment changes everything. Backed by new research on Gen Z’s social media habits behind the wheel, the campaign aims to drive awareness of the alarming rise in distracted driving and inspire young drivers to rethink their behavior before it’s too late.
What can you do?
- Watch and share: “Love Story” and share it with your community.
- Get Involved: learn about Project Yellow Light, donate, or participate in the scholarship competition by visiting www.projectyellowlight.com.
- Spread the word: Help raise awareness by sharing Julie Garner’s story and the new distracted driving data with your audience.