Texting may be good for business at AT&T, but it can be hazardous to millions of lives on the open roads. For that reason, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission and more than 140 other organizations have teamed with AT&T to tackle the dangerous practice in question: texting while driving.
At the GW Safety Expo on the campus of The George Washington University (GW) in Washington D.C. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, GW President Steven Knapp, and award-winning actor and bestselling author Hill Harper joined AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson in commemorating No Text on Board Pledge Day and urging Americans to make a lifelong commitment to never text and drive again.
“A text can wait. This message can’t,” said Stephenson. “In the United States, someone is killed or injured once every five minutes on average in a crash that happens while a driver is texting and driving.”
The multifaceted campaign involves a number of celebrities speaking out against the practice of driving while texting.
Victoria Justice, Ryan Beatty and Olympians Gabrielle Douglas and Jordyn Wieber have all participated so far. In addition, American Idol finalists and others are participating in awareness events throughout the country.
“Texting behind the wheel may only take a few moments, but it can have a lifetime of consequences,” added Secretary LaHood. “No text or email is worth the risk, and I applaud AT&T and all those who help to spread the word against texting and driving.”
To learn more about the campaign, click here.