Sprint has paired up with local coffee shops in New York City and Chicago on July 22-23 to hand out free coffee for customers who takes the pledge against distracted driving. According to a 2013 study on traffic safety culture by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly all drivers view texting or emailing while driving as a very serious threat to their own personal safety and consider it completely unacceptable.[i] And in a walking city like New York City, distracted walking – which includes participating in activities like texting, emailing and talking on the phone while walking – is equally dangerous. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted walkers may have contributed to the more than 4,400 pedestrian deaths and nearly 70,000 injuries in traffic crashes reported in 2011.
This effort is part of Sprint’s Corporate Responsibility program, Sprint Good Works, and on-going education efforts on the dangers of texting while driving. For the fourth year, Sprint is sponsoring the Do Something Thumb Wars campaign and encouraging consumers to not let their mobile devices be a distraction whether they are driving or walking. Additionally, customers who participate in the coffee giveaway will receive a voucher redeemable at select Sprint stores for a free $5 Sprint gift card, while supplies last, that can be used toward a new accessory or device. New York WHEN: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 from 9 a.m. – Noon (or until we run out of coffee)
WHERE: New York’s The MUDtruck will be parked along 43rd St. and 6th Ave. near Bryant Park for the coffee giveaway. Please follow @mudpeople for exact location morning of the event. Chicago WHEN: Wednesday, July 23, 2014 from 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (or until we run out of coffee) WHERE: Floriole Cafe on 1220 West Webster Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 At both events, customers are encouraged to post a selfie photo with their coffee using #happyconnectingNY and #happyconnectingCHI. More information on Sprint’s distracted driving efforts can be found at sprint.com/drive.
[i] AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index Full Report. January 2014, from https://www.aaafoundation.org/2013-traffic-safety-culture-index.
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