Drivers Called to Join the It Can Wait Movement, Get Involved in Drive 4 Pledges Day

New Resources Help People Make Their Commitment Social, Take It to the Streets Nearly 2,000 Activities Planned Coast-to-Coast

Dallas, Texas, September 19, 2013

A movement is accomplished through the voices and actions of many. That’s 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 today, Drive 4 Pledges Day.

Individuals can 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. Aspiring to create a social stigma around this dangerous habit of texting while driving, Drive 4 Pledges Day focuses on getting individuals involved in taking the pledge to never text and drive while encouraging others in their community to do the same. Participating 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.

Today, Drive 4 Pledges Day, supporters of the movement are called to help spread the word to their families, friends and communities.  Advocates are encouraged to do things like change their social profile photos and banner to It Can Wait graphics, and share their personal pledge stories using the hashtag #ItCanWait. Offline activations include hosting pledge drives and distributing posters in their schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.  All materials such as social graphics and posters are available for download from ItCanWait.com.

“It Can Wait has clearly made an impact resulting in over 2.8 million pledges to never text and drive,” said Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO-AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Today, we are encouraging the public to take it one step further by becoming advocates in the movement to curb this dangerous behavior.”

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.
• The National Organizations for Youth Safety Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Summit in Washington D.C. Sept. 18-20 will include a rally today with over 75 teens, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, NTSB Member Christopher Hart and teen actress and recording artist Coco Jones.
• AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are running co-branded advertising on national TV programming, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and displaying the message in their tens of thousands of stores nationwide.
• As part of its ongoing commitment to safety and no texting while driving, Disney Parks will share the message with its 95,000+ Cast Members.
• GE Healthcare is providing its US Service vehicle fleets with It Can Wait window clings to remind its employees to be safe while on the roads.
• Goodyear blimps are displaying the message It Can Wait in the skies over Miami and Los Angeles.
• The It Can Wait message will be promoted across key sporting events at games and via social media. Several Major League Baseball teams will drum up support for It Can Wait by reaching out to fans during games urging them to take the pledge. Participating clubs include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and the Washington Nationals. NFL players will tweet their support of Drive 4 Pledges Day with their friends and fans and teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers will rally around the cause as well. NHL and NBA teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs will also be supporting the cause.
• Third party organizations are supporting the day through various activations. The Consumer Electronics Association is holding an employee and membership pledge drive and distributing messaging through social media. The National Auto Body Council is distributing messaging through social media, enewsletters, and press releases. Member collision shops are holding mini pledge drives in local communities. Net Impact, a nonprofit that empowers a new generation of leaders to work for a sustainable future, is promoting the pledge as the featured “small step” of the day in their Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge program at colleges around the world.
• Youth organizations like the Girl Scouts are participating. Girl Scouts of the USA are activating its 112 councils nationwide to support It Can Wait through social media and member engagement.

“Texting while driving claims too many lives, and raising awareness of this completely preventable tragedy is key to saving them,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx.  “We’ve seen success before through our seatbelts and our drunk driving campaigns, and I both applaud the It Can Wait campaign for its efforts to raise awareness and encourage everyone to make a commitment on Drive 4 Pledges Day to drive focused and distraction-free.”

In fact, 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 2.8 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.

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