You're likely to see BMW's public-awareness commercial or online and print ads sometime this year. is particularly frightening, as it effectively shows how children are all too often innocent victims of careless and negligent drivers who text while driving.

BMW's campaign follows a meeting held in December between BMW of North America CEO Jim O'Donnell and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has been consulting with automotive representatives to discuss initiatives carmakers can take to help prevent distracted driving.

O'Donnell has also applauded BMW's safety campaign. "With this initiative, launched just in time for the summer driving season, BMW has really stepped up to the plate," O'Donnell .

But what is left unsaid in the media campaign is that along with most of the world's carmakers, BMW wants to make mobile tech available to drivers.

Automakers also generally contend that hands-free applications are relatively safe. The consensus is that using your hands to write and send a text message is dangerous, but a hands-free solution is okay.