By Ralph Reid
Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and President of the Sprint Foundation
The time it took to text, “I’m on my way” was just enough to distract a driver from seeing Xzavier crossing the street. And what happened next to Xzavier should never be inflicted on anyone.
This is why for nearly a decade Sprint has been devoted to educating wireless users about the importance of focusing solely on the road when they’re in the driver’s seat.
As of this spring, we’re extending this commitment by partnering with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile for It Can Wait – a nationwide campaign aimed at ending texting-while-driving and the more than 100,000 car accidents1 caused annually by this activity.
The days between now and Labor Day weekend are among the deadliest for young drivers from 15 to 20 years-old2, and teens, on average, text five times more a day than a typical adult.3
The It Can Wait ads that are airing throughout the summer are powerful because they focus on the dire consequences of texting while driving and its life-changing consequences for people like Xzavier and his family.
As a parent, I know the importance of impressing upon this young drivers the care and great responsibility they should take with their lives and the lives of others each and every time they get behind the wheel.
I and the staff at Sprint invite you and your family to join us in combatting texting while driving, and helping to promote a focus on driving – hands on the wheel, eyes on the road — with awareness, education, and resources.
To learn more about Sprint’s initiatives to prevent distracted driving, visit sprint.com/drive.
1 National Safety Council, 2011
2 AAA, 2011
3 The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 2010
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