Get ready to see more advertisements discouraging texting and driving.
The four largest cell phone providers in the United States have banded together to launch the "It Can Wait" campaign and another 200 other organizations have signed on to effort.
AT& T along with Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile US, Inc. also will launch a nationwide texting-while-driving simulator tour, have a retail presence in tens of thousands of stores, and reach out to millions of consumer. The campaign begins on Monday May 20 and will reach its peak between Memorial Day and Labor Day—known as the 100 Deadliest Days on the roads for teen drivers according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
"Texting while driving is a deadly habit that makes you 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash," said AT&T Chairman & CEO Randall Stephenson. "Awareness of the dangers of texting and driving has increased, but people are still doing it. With this expanded effort, we hope to change behavior. Together, we can help save lives."
The campaign will focus on the stories of people who are living with the consequences of texting while driving. Their stories will be told through various media including TV, radio, digital and social media. The first story in the campaign will be of Xzavier Davis-Bilbo, who in 2010 at five-years-old, was struck while crossing the street by a young woman texting while driving—leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
Both adults and teens can agree to not drive and text by signing a pledge on the campaign's web site www.itcanwait.com.
A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that nearly 50 percent of drivers answer their phones while driving, 25 percent make calls while behind the wheel and 14 percent compose or read text messages or e-mails. Among teen drivers, that figure jumps to 40 percent.
A study out of the University of Utah said drivers who are on the phone have reduced reaction times, much like alcohol-impaired drivers.
