Adults are supposed to be the role models for their children–especially when it comes to our teenagers. Whether it is using drugs or texting and driving. So the results are in.
According to a recent AT&T poll:
· Nearly half of commuters admit to texting while driving which is more than teens.
- 49% of commuters self-report texting while driving, compared to 43% of teens.*
· They are doing so more than they used to.
- Six in 10 commuters said they never texted while driving three years ago.
· Despite knowing the risks.
- 98% said sending a text or email while driving isn’t safe.
· For many, it has become a habit.
- More than 40% of those who admitted to texting while driving called it a habit.**
AT&T announced the launch of its “Texting While Driving…It Can Wait” campaign back in 2009. Since then, the campaign has grown into a movement that’s been gaining momentum:
- 165+ organizations have joined in the cause.
- Social media through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube has reached more than 250 million user accounts.
- Thousands of people have participated in hundreds of “It Can Wait” events, including more than 200 simulator events in 2012 and more than 380 scheduled in 2013.
- A high-profile national ad campaign shared personal stories of those whose lives were impacted by a texting-while-driving crash.
- Advertising and events with celebrities who appeal to teens have included Victoria Justice, Ryan Beatty, Olympians Jordyn Wieber and Gabrielle Douglas, American Idol finalists and others.
- AT&T employees and hundreds of nonprofit organizations are working together to provide no-texting-and-driving information to every high school in America.
- AT&T has encouraged its 240,000 employees to take the pledge and, in turn, urge all people to commit that they will never text and drive. On an average day, AT&T retail store and call center employees speak to customers more than 500,000 times.
- The company has awarded more than $30,000 in prizes to app developers participating in a hackathon to develop technology solutions to help curb texting and driving.
And the movement is making a difference:
- Awareness of the It Can Wait message increased 26 percent from May 2012 to the first-ever “National No Text on Board Day” in September 2012. One-in-three people said that texting while driving messages have an impact on their driving habits.***
- The AT&T DriveMode® app has been downloaded more than 125,000 times.
The “It Can Wait” message is simple: No text is worth dying for. AT&T would like to see texting and driving become as unacceptable as drinking and driving.
MUST WATCH videos and pass on to ones you care about:
Texting While Driving Statistics and Commuter Poll Results
AT&T Educates Students on the Dangers of Texting and Driving
