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AT&T Calls on Nation's Drivers to Pledge: Never Text and Drive

AT&T’s “It Can Wait” public awareness campaign is focused on a simple, powerful message: No text is worth dying for. AT&T plans to 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 work with AT&T so that 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 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.”


For more information: http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=23198&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=35115&mapcode=consumer|txting_can_wait