With more than 38 million Americans expected to hit the road this Memorial Day Weekend, AT&T is reminding drivers not to let their smartphones become a distraction.
In addition to taking the It Can Wait pledge, here are some tips from AT&T to help you curb the temptation to text, email, surf the mobile web, and more while behind the wheel.
- Take advantage of the AT&T DriveMode app. It’s free to customers of all wireless carriers for iPhone and Android users, and is available in Spanish. DriveMode silences incoming text messages. For AT&T post-paid customers, it sends an auto-reply letting the sender know you’re behind the wheel. The app turns on automatically when you’re driving 15 MPH or more and turns off shortly after you stop. Parents with young drivers can receive a text message if the app is turned off.
- Have a passenger handle your calls or texts while you are driving so you can stay focused on the task at hand.
- Keep your mobile device out of reach while driving.
- Use #X on social media to let people know you are behind the wheel
- Limit the use of your smartphone for emergency situations only.
- Watch this powerful 6-minute video, Fletcher’s Drive. It will make you think twice about smartphone distracted driving.
AT&T launched the It Can Wait campaign in 2010. Since then:
- More than 8 million pledges have been made
- The AT&T DriveMode app has been downloaded more than 3.5 million times
- More than 90% are aware of the dangers of distracted driving and texting while driving. (AT&T TWD Tracker Nov. 2015; general audience of 15-54)
- Research on crash data from departments of transportation in Texas, Kentucky and other states suggests a correlation between It Can Wait campaign activities and a reduction in crashes.
Before you get behind the wheel this weekend, remember, no glance, text, email, or post is worth a life. #ItCanWait.
[ad id=”2764″]