An Ontario woman is raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving as she recovers from severe injuries sustained in a road collision last month.
Just over a month ago, Linda Brown was hit by a car as she rode her treasured pink motorcycle near Peterborough, Ont. In a Facebook post, Brown alleges the driver of the vehicle that hit her was distracted at the time.
Five weeks later, the mother of three is still in hospital in Toronto, recovering from the latest of five operations.
It will be months before Brown, who goes by the nickname Pinky, can even attempt to walk again. Doctors say she may always need some kind of assistance.
But Brown is lucky to be alive, which got her thinking about how to prevent distracted driving.
Brown and a friend came up with the “I Pinky Swear” campaign, a play on both Brown’s nickname and the children’s method of holding someone to their promise by entwining their pinky fingers together.
The “I Pinky Swear” Facebook page says: “Please do not drive distracted. Pinky swear you will put your phone away. Save a life.”
A printing company donated “pledge” cards to her campaign, which Brown has been handing out, and posting on Twitter and Facebook.
Brown also speaks to groups, including those who participate in Sunnybrook’s Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program. The program graphically shows teens the effects of impaired driving.
Being in a trauma ward is a grim reminder of the number of people who can be affected by a moment of distraction while behind the wheel, Brown said.
“Some people aren’t even making it,” Brown told CTV Toronto. “It’s just horrible that one little text message could’ve waited, just so that person could finish walking across the street.”
Brown, who is a social worker by profession but plays in a band for fun, is also performing for the trauma patients.
It’s one more way she’s using her time in hospital to make things better for others.
With a report by CTV Toronto’s Pauline Chan