Kathy Bernstein Harris and the folks at National Safety Council took the lead in complaining to Apple CEO Tim Cook about a horrendous photo of multiple teens together in a car, as used in an Apple advertisement. A reformatted copy of the letter is below and the photo is above. To view a copy of the actual letter, with all signatures, including mine, please click on this link. Thanks to Kathy and NSC for their vigilance.
December 4, 2014
Mr. Tim Cook
Chief Executive Officer
Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
Dear Mr. Cook,
We would like to make you aware of our concerns that Apple is sending a dangerous message with a photo in its retail stores that shows several young people having fun in a vehicle. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and several of the most common factors contributing to teen car crashes are present in this photo. This Apple photo depicts behaviors that research has established are life-threatening. We are concerned that young people will see this photo and not understand that it shows a very high-risk situation. We also believe that if Apple’s marketing team had known how dangerous a situation the campaign is representing, the team would not have used it.
Young passengers pose significant distractions to young drivers. The four teen passengers in the photo quadruple the risk of a fatal crash. Sadly, many people, including parents, do not realize how deadly allowing teens to drive or ride with friends can be. We are concerned photos like this could inadvertently condone or encourage this unsafe behavior.
We are also concerned about the lack of seat belt use in the photo. Seat belts are the single most effective safety device in vehicles, yet more than half of teens killed in crashes are not wearing them. We have to find ways to get teens to wear belts. A photo of young people riding unbelted portrayed in Apple stores sends the wrong message.
Most important, thousands of families have lost teens in crashes involving multiple passenger distraction, and thousands more have lost teens because they were not wearing seat belts. For those families, this photo is much more than a misguided marketing tool. This photo is a painful reminder of why their teens are not home for the holidays.
Today’s youth are captivated by Apple. This gives the company a platform, which we hope can be used to spread positive messages. Apple’s marketing team members are among the many who do not understand teen drivers’ crash risks. In bringing these risks to light, it is our hope Apple will consider using its power for good and encourage a different approach to reach its audience.
Regards,
Deborah A.P. Hersman
President and CEO
National Safety Council
Doug Ralls
Father to Brian Patrick
Survivor Advocate
Adrian Lund
President
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Marianne Angelillo
Mother to Matthew
Survivor Advocate
Jonathan Adkins
Executive Director
Governors Highway Safety Office
Vijay B. Dixit
Father to Shreya
Survivor Advocate
Jackie Gillan
President
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Tim Hollister
From Reid’s Dad Blog
Survivor Advocate
Pam Fischer
National Teen Safe Driving Expert & Parent Advocate
