This week AT&T launched “IT CAN WAIT”, a new initiative to stop texting while driving. As many of you know for a while AT&T has been leading the fight against not texting while driving. They are now asking and urging Americans to pledge to stop texting while driving. Did you know that there are over 100,000 car accidents are caused by a drive who was texting while behind the wheel? AT&T’s main idea to get out there is that “No Text Is Worth Dying For”. Many of you have also seen the It Can Wait campaign, that AT&T began in 2009. If you go to www.itcanwait.org, You Can Take The Pledge. In the coming week’s AT&T is also launching an online driving simulator, so you can experience what texting while driving can do. They will also be launching 200 on site simulators around the country. They have asked there employees to take the pledge, and many of their suppliers. In a survey conducted by AT&T 97% of Teens say that they know Texting while Driving is dangerous, but 43% of Teens admit to doing it. You Can See The Info-graphic With More Information On The Survey, By Clicking Here. (It Will Open Up The PDF As An Attachment AT&T is urging Americans to make the lifelong commitment of not texting while driving on September 19! Once again, if you go to www.itcanwait.org, You Can Take The Pledge. You can also share the pledge on Facebook and Twitter, the official hashtag for the cause is “#itcanwait”. Many people are taking the pledge, just search the hashtag on Twitter see it for your self. AT&T is also launching Twibbons, and you can add it your profile, By Clicking Here. For more information on It Can Wait From AT&T, Check Out The Press Release Below!
AT&T URGEs new jersey’s drivers to pledge: never to text and drive
Americans Urged to Make Lifelong Commitment on Sept. 19
BEDMINSTER, N.J. , Aug., 15, 2012 – Wireless provider AT&T*, seeking to bring attention to a serious road-safety problem, today urged all Americans to pledge to stop texting while driving, and then to join with others Sept. 19 to make a lifelong commitment to never do so again.
AT&T, its employees and other supporters are calling on all drivers to go towww.itcanwait.com<http://www.itcanwait.com> to take the no-texting-and-driving pledge, and then share their promise with others via Twitter (#itcanwait) and Facebook. The pledge effort is part of the company’s public awareness campaign aimed directly at stopping the dangerous practice of texting while driving.
More than 100,000 times each year, an automobile crashes and people are injured or die while a driver was texting and driving, said AT&T Chairman & CEO Randall Stephenson, citing a statistic from the National Safety Council1
“Our goal is to save lives,” Stephenson said. “I hear from far too many people whose lives have been forever changed by a texting-while-driving accident, and together, we want to spread the word about how deadly a single text can be.”
J. Michael Schweder, AT&T Mid-Atlantic President, said that the “It Can Wait” campaign could be a game changer in preventing tragic consequences of texting while driving. ”I urge New Jerseyans to sign the No Texting While Driving pledge,” he said. ”Step up, sign the pledge, set an example, save lives.”
AT&T’s “It Can Wait” public awareness campaign is focused on a simple, powerful message: No text is worth dying for. AT&T will spend tens of millions of dollars on the campaign in 2012 and has made it an ongoing commitment in future years. The effort is comprised of several key initiatives, including:
* Encouraging its 240,000 employees to take the pledge and, in turn, urge all people to commit that they will never text and drive. On an average day, AT&T retail store and call center employees speak to customers more than 500,000 times.
* Working with TV and music celebrities to deliver a strong no-texting-while-driving message via TV ads, concerts, public appearances, Twitter and Facebook.
* Launching an aggressive social media campaign with advertising on Facebook and Twitter to encourage Americans to take the pledge and to share their pledges with their friends via social media.
* Educating the public using TV ads on the dangers of texting while driving that will run during high-profile events and teen-focused programs.
* Working to provide a toolkit of no-texting-while-driving information to every high school in the country.
* Challenging device makers and app developers to have all devices include a pre-loaded, no-text-and-drive technology solution as soon as possible.
* Launching an online driving simulator at www.itcanwait.com<http://www.itcanwait.com> in the coming weeks – so that anyone with access to the Internet can experience the dangers of texting while driving.
* Bringing an in-car simulator to more than 200 locations before the end of this year.
* Enlisting others – including law enforcement, educators, national retailers, consumer safety groups, legislators and the entire wireless industry – to join the no-text-and-drive movement.
* Asking more than 1,000 of AT&T’s strategic and other major suppliers to encourage their employees to pledge not to text and drive.
“Distracted driving is an epidemic on our roadways, and we need people all across America to take action in their communities to help put a stop to it,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “I applaud AT&T for taking on this issue with the ‘It Can Wait’ campaign, and I thank them for helping to spread the word that no text or email is worth the risk.”
“Working with teens day-in and day-out, we see firsthand the impacts that peer pressure – and peer influence – have on the decisions they make,” said Sandra Spavone, executive director of the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS). “That’s what makes AT&T’s efforts so effective. They understand that – by working with these teens and incorporating their feedback programmatically – ultimately, we’ll reach even more of that critical and impressionable audience with a message they’ll hear.”
In addition, many other government, corporate and non-profit organizations have already pledged support for the awareness campaign, including: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, National Consumers League, National Council of La Raza, National Safety Council and National Urban League. More supporters can be found at www.itcanwait<http://www.itcanwait>.
A recent AT&T survey2 found that 97 percent of teens say they know that texting is dangerous. The survey also found:
* 75 percent of teens surveyed say that texting while driving is “common” among their friends;
* Almost all teens (89 percent) expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less;
* And 77 percent of teens report seeing their parents text while driving.
* But technology can help: 89 percent of teens said a phone app to prevent texting and driving – like AT&T DriveModeTM<http://www.att.com/drivemode> 3 – would be an effective way to get them or their friends to stop texting and driving.
AT&T first began its “It Can Wait” campaign discouraging texting and driving in 2009. The websitewww.itcanwait.com<http://www.itcanwait.com> provides an opportunity to take the don’t-text-and-drive pledge. It also offers a host of educational resources and information on the issue – including a documentary featuring families impacted by texting and driving accidents that has been viewed more than 3 million times.
1 National Safety Council www.nsc.org<http://www.nsc.org>
2 Data and text messaging charges may apply for download and app usage. Standard messaging rates apply to auto-reply messages. AT&T DriveMode is free to AT&T customers only. Compatible device required.
3 Survey conducted by Beck Research on behalf of AT&Thttp://www.att.com/Common/about_us/txting_driving/att_teen_survey_executive.pdf.
Gallery
