We’ve all seen it.
Killing time at a stoplight, someone decides to check a work email. Driving home, they’re checking out photos from a BBQ last weekend. They’re texting a friend to let them know about plans for the evening. They’re tweeting about the upcoming election at a slow intersection.
As our already fast-paced world becomes increasingly connected, it has become more and more difficult to ignore the vibrations and rings of our phones while driving. Whether you’re tempted to check the newest push notification from your favorite social media apps or send a text – Don’t. It can wait.
When you make the decision to take your eyes off the road to look at your phone, you’re doing more than putting your own life in danger. You’re endangering the passengers in your car, the lives of the drivers around you, the children on the sidewalk, and the woman in the bike lane.
AT&T launched the It Can Wait movement more than five years ago to educate people about the dangers of texting and driving. Since 2010, the problem has expanded beyond texting. People now email, post on social media, and 11% of people have even admitted to video chatting behind the wheel.
The media inundates us with news about traffic fatalities, but often the best way to educate people about the danger of distracted driving is for them to hear the message from a friend or loved one.
For many in today’s world, interacting on a phone while driving is a compulsion, and people need their distractions to be silenced. Apps like AT&T’s DriveMode® block text messages while you’re driving and send responses to let those trying to reach you know you’re driving and will respond when you get to your location. These apps spread the word, letting others know you are serious about your commitment, and inspiring them to do the same.
In the last five years, more than 7 million people took the It Can Wait pledge. While every pledge drives awareness, there is so much more we can do.
This fall, we encourage you to take the pledge and pass it on, helping us drive for pledges throughout the season. Take a moment to visit itcanwait.com and pledge or renew your vow to keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone. Then, pass your pledge on to your friends. Together, we are building a safer future.
Working together, we can share solutions to this problem. We can inspire others to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phones.
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