Auto Club,

respond to text messages with a preprogrammed message. However, users must opt-in to activate the apps.

The AAA survey found that although 81% of drivers across the U.S. know driving Focus features on their phones, 54% have never used them. The survey also found that of those familiar with the driving Focus features, the most significant users are people 18 to 29 years- old who say they usually or sometimes use it while driving (59%).

Among all drivers who DO NOT enable the driving Focus features while driving, the primary reasons they gave for not using them are:

• Able to ignore my smartphone while driving

• Use Bluetooth if I need to answer a call

• Don’t think to turn it on wheel, and often they were traveling at freeway speeds and taking their eyes off the road for up to 5 seconds at a time.”

• Need to be reachable in an emergency (kids, family, work, etc.)

Driving 55 miles per hour, taking your eyes off the road for five seconds, is like traveling the length of a football field blindfolded. Law enforcement officers watch out for distracted drivers on roadways, but they can’t be everywhere to catch every violation.

That’s why the Auto Club continues a campaign it began in 2018 to increase the social stigma of using a smartphone while driving, like the stigma that exists with alcohol-impaired driving. As part of the campaign called “Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intoxicated.” AAA market researchers surveyed drivers nationwide about their knowledge of and use of driving Focus features, which are smartphone apps that use sensors and proximity to available network connections to detect driving. The apps generally work when the vehicles are in motion and can silence the phone, redirect incoming calls to voicemails, or

However, smartphones’ latest driving Focus (iPhones) and Drive Focus (Android) features address many drivers’ concerns. These newer features will:

• Automatically enable when connected to the vehicle’s Bluetooth

• Allow repeat calls to be received (in emergencies)

• Set contact exemption rules allowing calls/texts from select contacts in your phonebook

• Allow all messages/calls but only allow interaction via Bluetooth

The driving Focus features could have prevented a crash that nearly killed Los Angeles resident Jim Jones. Jones was walking near his former Napa Valley home in 2013 when a 19year-old man, who admitted to using his phone to talk with his girlfriend, hit Jones and caused him to go airborne, land on his head, be dragged at least 30 feet, and suffer a traumatic brain injury.

“I had to learn how to walk again, learn how to eat again, and in fact, I still don’t eat in public because eating is very awkward for me,” said Jones.

The crash impacted him and his entire family four months before his daughter’s wedding. They were told at one point that he would not survive.

“When I was recovering, I was conscious but could not focus on what was happening in that world. Then, as I became more conscious, I realized I would walk my daughter down that aisle. There was no doubt about it. I was driven,” said Jones.

To stay focused behind the wheel and prevent driving “intoxicated,” the Auto Club recommends you:

Use the driving Focus features on your smartphone.

Pull over if you have to call or text someone.

Speak up if the driver of your vehicle is distracted.

Put it away. Place your mobile device out of sight to prevent temptation.

Know where you’re going. If using GPS, program the destination before driving.

Ask passengers for help. If with someone, ask for help to navigate, make a call or text.

Don’t be a distraction. Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.

For more information about the Auto Club’s

“Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intoxicated.”

For the campaign, visit AAA. com/DontDriveDistracted to read real stories of lives impacted by distracted driving, watch PSAs, and view a distracted driving documentary called “Sidetracked.”

Coachella, CA – Green Room Theatre Company Coachella Valley (GRTCCV) debuts

Gary Soto’s awardwinning Novio Boy on April 15, 2023, with several performances scheduled through the end of April (additional locations will be announced later for the May schedule). The critically acclaimed Novio Boy is set to captivate audiences with its poignant and funny explorations of love, family, and coming-of-age.

The comedy centers on Rudy’s experiences, anxieties, and ambitions to transition from childhood to adolescence as he prepares for his first date. The lead actors are Luis Miguel Ibarra as Rudy and Jackie Corona as 16-year-old Patricia. A cast of six other actors supports them. Julian Perez doubles as Rudy’s roque, Uncle Juan-Juan, and the mysterious curandero Mama Rosa.

“Theatre enthusiasts will not want to miss this one-of-a-kind traveling production, and anyone who loves to enjoy live theatre up close and personal will find an enriching experience,” said GRTCCV’s Executive Artistic Director David Catanzarite.

“We hope to expose more of the community to high-caliber theatre by providing all of the performances free to the public, thanks to an IMPACT

Grant from the California Arts Council. This show is for people of all ages who may not have easy access to theatre. We’re bringing professional theatre to their neighborhoods.”

This production brings topquality theatre to various locations throughout the Coachella Valley. Performances are all free of charge, and families are especially encouraged to attend for audiences five years and older.

The current schedule of performances is as follows:

*Saturday, April 15 at noon and again at 2 p.m. at La Quinta Library, 78275 Calle Tampico in La Quinta. *Saturday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m., venue to be announced. Check the grtccv.orgwebsite for updates.

*Saturday, April 22 at 1:00, venue to be announced. Check the grtccv. org website for updates.

*Additional performances and locations for April and May are TBD.

For more information, updates on the performance schedule, or to get involved with GRTCCV, please call (760) 696-2546 or visit www. greenroomtheatrecompany. org.