It Can Wait refers to texting while driving.
The project includes a Pledge to not text while driving. Over 7 million pledges have been recorded.
AT & T also offers an App for your phone called AT&T Drive Mode. It lets friends and family know you are driving and can’t text or receive a text.
So, why you ask is this so important?
We don’t know exactly how many people died from a texting accident, but we do know 23% of auto accidents involve the use of a cell phone!
75% of teenagers admit to using their phones while driving and the adult number is not far behind.
4 in 10 people admit to doing social media
– Twitter, Face book etc. while driving.
Texting makes you 23 times more likely to have a wreck!
Simply dialing while driving increases your chance of a problem by 2.8 times; talking ups your number to 1.3 times more likely; and just reaching for your cell phone makes an accident 1.4 times more likely.
Texting reduces a driver’s reaction time to equal that of a person that had consumed 4 beers.
If you could create and send a text message in 5 seconds – most of us can’t even find the person to send one to in that time – anyway, in that 5 seconds at 55 miles per hour your car travels over the length of a football field and you – the driver are essentially blindfolded!
What can we do?
First – limit our cell phone usage by the driver in the car with absolutely no texting..
The AT&T App – Drive Mode is a good step. A better step is putting your cell phone somewhere in the car where you cannot reach it.
If you are like me you know there have been too many times when just talking on my hands free cell in my car has distracted my driving. So, please think seriously about your own habits and those of your loved ones.
It’s pretty amazing what a word of caution from mom, dad, grand ma or Papa, a brother or sister or a friend can have.
IT CAN WAIT really should be more than just a slogan!
I’m Steve Sauder.
