For more information, contact:Jessica Erickson, AT&T Wisconsin608-282-7870 (work)608-692-5340 (cell) jessica.erickson@att.com

Benton Students Urged to Take Pledge to Never Text and Drive at www.ItCanWait.com

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

BENTON, Thursday, May 15, 2014 — Over 125 students from Benton Middle and High Schools learned today about the dangers of texting and driving and were urged to take the pledge to never text behind the wheel at www.ItCanWait.com.

Benton teamed up with AT&T, AAA, the Wisconsin State Patrol and State Rep. Howard Marklein as part of the It Can Wait® movement to remind students that text messages can – and should – wait until after driving.

“Not only is texting and driving against the law in Wisconsin, but it is also extremely dangerous and can be deadly,” said Principal Kyle Luedtke. “The message is simple: there is no text worth dying for. We hope our students really take this message to heart and pledge to never text and drive.”

Today’s assembly was part of a series of high school events AT&T, AAA and the Wisconsin State Patrol are holding this school year to drive home the dangers of texting behind the wheel. Students were given the chance to experience firsthand the dangers in a safe setting through AAA’s distracted driving simulator.

Students were also shown a powerful documentary produced by AT&T called “The Last Text” that shares real stories about lives altered or ended by someone’s decision to text and drive.

“Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous activities a driver can do behind the wheel,” said State Rep. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). “While Wisconsin bans texting and driving, we must continue to raise awareness about the dangers and urge all drivers, particularly our teens, to put down their phones when on the road.”

Wisconsin marked the third anniversary of its no-texting-while-driving ban on December 1, 2013. The law 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 that ban text messaging by all drivers.

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 never text and drive at www.ItCanWait.com. Since 2010, AT&T, AAA and the State Patrol have partnered together to hold events in 55 cities throughout Wisconsin, reaching over 25,000 high school students.

“Studies show teens continue to text and drive, even though they know it’s dangerous and against the law,” said Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin. “We’re challenging all drivers, especially our teens, to take the pledge to never text and drive and make it a lifelong commitment.”

The It Can Wait® movement is making a difference. One in three people who have seen the texting while driving message say they’ve changed their driving habits, and the campaign has inspired more than 4 million pledges to never text and drive.

Texting while driving causes more than 200,000 car crashes on American roadways each year, according to the National Safety Council1. Those who send text messages while driving are much more likely to be in a crash.

Research shows that speaking up against texting while driving works. A ConnectSafely.org survey sponsored by AT&T found that:

78% of teen drivers say they’re likely not to text and drive if friends tell them it’s wrong or stupid. 90% say they’d stop if a friend in the car asked them to. 93% would stop if a parent in the car asked them to.

AT&T, AAA and the Wisconsin State Patrol are planning a series of high school events this school year. Events have been held at 30 high schools across the state, including in Benton, with 1 more planned this spring at New Lisbon High School. For more information on the It Can Wait® campaign, please visit: ItCanWait.com.

AAA has also long been warning the public about the dangers of distracted driving. For more information on AAA’s national initiative to ban texting and driving in every state, please visit www.TeenDriving.AAA.com.

1 National Safety Council www.nsc.org

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