Posted by: AT&T Blog Team on May 12, 2011 at 7:29 pm
By Gail Torreano, AT&T SVP-Employee Communications and Global Sponsorships
AT&T has a long history of encouraging responsible phone use behind the wheel. This is particularly important because motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death of young people, according to statistics released at the launch of the first UN-Sanctioned Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020), which took place on Wednesday during the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) kick-off event for National Youth Traffic Safety Month.
As part of our ongoing commitment to consumer education and empowerment, we announced at the NOYS event a four-year plan to contribute a total of $1 million to help spread the word about our “Txtng & Drivng…It Can Wait” campaign. NOYS is the first beneficiary of AT&T’s new financial pledge for this cause, with a donation of $95,000 towards the organization’s efforts to remind students that text messaging can – and should – wait until after driving. Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta recognized our commitment during the program, where leading transportation, health and safety experts convened to discuss ways to reduce traffic-related fatalities.
As part of this contribution, 40 student ambassadors will receive training to assist AT&T and NOYS at the first-ever national texting while driving prevention youth summit in Washington, D.C. in October. The ambassadors will also spearhead texting-while-driving awareness initiatives in their hometown schools throughout the year, reminding their peers that text messaging and driving don’t mix.
We’re looking forward to a great association with NOYS in the future and are grateful for their continued support, as well as that of policymakers, in our joint mission to educate America’s youth on the dangers of texting while driving.
In December 2010, we launched our documentary, “The Last Text,” which features real stories of victims whose lives were adversely affected – or ended – by texting and driving. We were honored when Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood expressed his support for the video’s message. Since its launch, nearly 2.3 million people have viewed the documentary.
While our campaign has touched millions in its first year, this is just the beginning of a movement to encourage all consumers to use their mobile devices safely and wisely.
If you’d like to learn more about “Txtng & Drivng…It Can Wait” please visit our website.
