It Can Wait - Texting and Driving

Catholic Central High School Students Urged to Take Pledge to Never Text and Drive at www.ItCanWait.com

School Wins $1,000 AT&T Donation and It Can Wait Assembly through ‘My Business Cares’ Program

AT&T, AAA, Wisconsin State Patrol Team Up to Highlight Dangers

BURLINGTON, Monday, October 13, 2014 — Over 180 students at Catholic Central High School in Burlington learned today about the dangers of texting while driving and were urged to take the pledge to never text behind the wheel at www.ItCanWait.com.

Catholic Central was selected for an AT&T It Can Wait^® assembly through the AT&T “My Business Cares” sweepstakes, which aims to stop texting and driving by bringing together local businesses and schools.  Jim and Mary Hurst, a Catholic Central graduate, nominated the school for the assembly and a $1,000 AT&T donation.

Speakers from AT&T, AAA and the Wisconsin State Patrol joined with Mayor Bob Miller as part of the It Can Wait movement to remind students that text messages can – and should – wait until after driving.

“We are excited to be a ‘My Business Cares’ award winner and grateful to Jim and Mary Hurst for the nomination,” said Catholic Central Principal David Wieters.  “Texting and driving is not only against the law, but one of the most dangerous activities a driver can do behind the wheel.  We hope our students take the It Can Wait message to heart and take the pledge to never text and drive.”

The students learned today about “#X” – a new social tool introduced as part of the It Can Wait^® campaign this year that is geared toward helping teens stop texting and driving.  In addition to the $1,000 AT&T donation, the school was also presented with two It Can Wait^®parking lot signs that remind students to never text and drive.

“Our It Can Wait campaign has always targeted teens, as they are not only our newest and most inexperienced drivers, but also the most prevalent texters,” said Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin.  “#X is simple, quick to enter and easily shareable, and we hope it will act as a digital rallying cry for teens and others to help end this deadly epidemic.” 

“#X” is a tool that teens can use to pause a text or social conversation before beginning to drive.  The symbol is a way for teens to quickly let their friends know that they are about to drive and won’t be responding to texts or social media until they arrive safely at their destination. 

Students were given the chance to experience the dangers of texting while driving in a safe setting through AAA’s distracted driving simulator.  They were also shown a powerful documentary produced by AT&T called “The Last Text” that shares real stories about lives ended by someone’s decision to text and drive.

“While Wisconsin bans texting and driving, we know the dangerous practice is still happening far too often on our roads,” said Mayor Bob Miller.  “That’s why the It Can Wait campaign is so critical to spreading the message about the dangers to our young people.”

AT&T first launched the It Can Wait campaign in 2009 to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving and encourage consumers to take the pledge to not text and drive at www.ItCanWait.com.  

The campaign has turned into a national social movement with support from organizations all across the country, including the Wisconsin State Patrol and AAA.  Since 2010, AT&T, AAA and the State Patrol have partnered together to hold events in 59 cities throughout Wisconsin, reaching over 26,500 high school students.  This school year, the three organizations are holding 25 high school events around the state to drive home the dangers.

The It Can Wait movement is making a difference.  The campaign has inspired more than 5 million pledges to never text and drive, and one in three people who’ve seen the message say they’ve changed their driving habits. 

Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety confirms the unique danger of texting behind the wheel.  According to a 2012 naturalistic study, teen drivers who use their phones while driving take their attention off of the road more frequently and for longer periods of time.  And in a groundbreaking study conducted in collaboration with the University of Utah’s Center for the Prevention of Distracted Driving, even speech-to-text technologies were shown to cause dangerous levels of cognitive distraction. 

“Safe driving requires more than just your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road,” said Vicki Hanson, Regional President for AAA Wisconsin.  “The best way to avoid a crash is to give your undivided attention to driving.”

Wisconsin’s law, effective as of December 1, 2010, prohibits sending an e-mail or text message while driving and imposes a fine of up to $400.  As a primary enforcement law, officers may stop and ticket drivers solely for texting and driving.  Wisconsin is among 41 states and the District of Columbia that ban text messaging by all drivers.

For more information on the It Can Wait^® campaign, please visit: ItCanWait.com.  For more information on AAA’s national initiative to ban texting and driving in every state, please visit www.TeenDriving.AAA.com.