Drivers Called To Join The It Can Wait® Movement, Get Involved On September 19, Drive 4 Pledges Day

FRANKFORT, Ky., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A movement is accomplished through the voices and actions of many. That is why four national wireless service providers, spearheading the It Can Wait campaign, are urging people to share their commitment to never text and drive with others on Drive 4 Pledges Day, September 19.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120612/DA23287LOGO)

Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson was joined today by leadership from the Kentucky State Police, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, AT&T and students from Franklin County High School to proclaim September 19 as "Drive 4 Pledges Day" across the Commonwealth. 

"Highway safety has been a major emphasis of our administration," Lt. Gov. Abramson said. "Part of the challenge of highway safety is to keep ahead of technology, and the cell phone is symbolic of that challenge. While it has made our lives and jobs easier in many ways, there is no question that far too often it proves to be an irresistible distraction to drivers.  That's why we have taken proactive steps to discourage all drivers from texting, and now are implementing stiffer penalties for those who get caught."

As part of Drive 4 Pledges Day, the Lt. Governor is asking all Kentuckians to take or renew their pledge not to text and drive and to share their commitment with others. The Lt. Governor was joined by Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer and Bill Bell from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to renew their pledges and encourage state employees to do the same.

"Too many 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," said Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer. "We hope that students and adults across Kentucky will follow the lead of Governor Beshear and Lt. Governor Abramson and take the pledge to not text and drive."

This partnership continues the commitment of Kentucky state officials to encourage safe driving on Kentucky's roadways. Last year, Governor Steve Beshear announced that window cling decals featuring the message "No Text on Board" would be available to be affixed to Kentucky state vehicles across the Commonwealth, including those of state law enforcement. Also, starting today, motorists will see "don't text and drive" messages on electronic sign boards along state highways.

"At a time when more people are using wireless devices than ever before, taking the pledge to not text and drive is critical to keeping all those who travel our roadways safe," said AT&T Kentucky President Hood Harris. "We hope this campaign will encourage all Kentuckians to take the pledge and to make it a lifelong commitment."

Individuals can now sign up at ItCanWait.com to get resources that will help them share their commitment on social media and personalize the movement on the streets of their communities on key activation days.  Aspiring to create a social stigma around this dangerous habit of texting while driving, Drive 4 Pledges Day will focus on getting individuals involved in taking the pledge to never text and drive while encouraging others in their community to do the same. These individuals will join AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile US, Inc., Verizon and more than 200 other organizations by sharing their commitment not to text and drive while increasing awareness of the dangers.

Individuals joining in Drive 4 Pledges Day will be part of a variety of activations and awareness campaigns coast-to-coast, including:

• Nearly 2,000 Drive 4 Pledges activities will be held in communities across the nation, including more than 1,500 at high schools. Additionally, 200+ proclamations will be issued.
• #ItCanWait tweets and Instagram posts will stream on ItCanWait.com.

A ConnectSafely.org¹ survey found that individuals who speak up can have a profound impact, particularly on teens.

• 78% of teen drivers say they're likely not to text and drive if friends tell them it's wrong or stupid.
• 90% say they'd stop if a friend in the car asked them to.
• 93% would stop if a parent in the car asked them to.
• 44% say that they would be thankful if a passenger complained about their texting while driving.

The It Can Wait movement is making a difference. One-in-three people who've seen the texting while driving message say they've changed their driving habits², the campaign has inspired more than 2.5 million pledges never to text and drive and the recently launched "From One Second To The Next" documentary has received more than 2 million views since Aug. 8. To take the pledge and get more information, visit www.ItCanWait.com.

¹ ConnectSafely.org survey sponsored by AT&T
² AT&T Texting While Driving … It Can Wait Perceptions Study

About It Can Wait®

The It Can Wait^® campaign, created to end texting and driving, has evolved into a movement.  It currently is supported by the four largest U.S. wireless carriers, more than 200 other organizations and thousands of caring individuals. The movement has inspired more than 2.5 million pledges through ItCanWait.com, on Facebook, through text-to-pledge and tweet-to-pledge, and at events.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.