As someone who champions AT&T’s message of It Can Wait that is part of their no texting while driving campaign, I was dismayed when I got an email from a family member who proudly exclaimed he had traded his Blackberry for an Android. I also may have flipped out a little upon reading this:
It is, however, much harder to use (impossible) when driving a car. With the Blackberry, I was able to make calls and even send texts (in either English and Spanish) while driving 80 mph on I-10 in Texas.
WHAT?!? You were doing WHAT while driving?
Making calls by pushing buttons on the Blackberry. Sending texts in multiple languages while driving. I wanted to pick up the phone, call, and lecture but I was too upset. Instead I stared at my computer, shaking my head in disbelief that someone that we love so dearly would be so very careless.
There are things that we know we shouldn’t do but do them anyways. Like using the phone while driving. We know the risks of distracted driving but it doesn’t stop us from texting, using map apps, or making and taking calls on the phone even though the statistics are staggering.
Did you know:
- In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009. (CTIA)
- 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)
- Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.(Monash University)
- Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)
- Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)
When reading the above statistics from Distraction.gov, do you pause to think about your actions and how they may affect others? Are you ensuring that your actions keep you and your passengers safe while not putting other motorists at risk? Because we know all it takes is a split second before life could change forever.
For this reason, my husband has offered assistance to this family member in the form of Android lessons while I am going to lead the conversation on distracted driving.
Even though this individual is far from being a teen, I’m going to make him take the pledge to never text and drive. I’m going to install the AT&T Drive Mode App after having him use the Texting & Driving simulator. We are going to have a very real conversation about the risks to him, our family, and to others on the road.
Because all it takes is a split second and your world can change forever.
AT&T has offered a Samsung Galaxy SIII (the Cadillac of Android phones!) to a Tech Savvy Mama reader who takes the No Text on Board pledge. Enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received a Samsung Galaxy SIII from AT&T but have worked with them in the past to share the #ItCanWait campaign through mobile safety education initiatives I’ve conducted in my community and online. All opinions are my own. Images courtesy of AT&T.
I'm a DC Metro area dwelling mom of 2 and former teacher with an background in classroom technology integration & school administration. I am a family internet safety & security expert, social media consultant, columnist for Parents.com and Scholastic Parents, dog owner, car enthusiast, and an avid gardener. I also work for Clever Girls Collective. {
I resolve to not read IMs.
I resolve to stop picking up my kids dropped items unless I pull over to get it or make them wait.
I will share the pledge with my husband.
I am taking the pledge for my kids, they are often in the car with me and I need to be a safe driver for them.
I took the pledge and our worst distracted driving issue we need to stop is eating while on the go.
I am taking the pledge and passing it on to my family. Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers. People putting makeup on in the mornings drive me crazy.. I promise to stop looking at them with evil eyes and pay more attention to the road instead of them..
I always roll my eyes when I see someone putting on makeup in the car. I honestly don’t understand how someone can line their eyes properly without poking themselves in the eye or getting in a wreck while driving a car!
Sharing with my family… Its a must..
Hi Yvonne! Thanks so much for sharing this with your family to help keep everyone safe.
not answering the phone either while driving… doing this for my kids.. I do not have a bluetooth so its important for their safety and mine.
because no text is worth the risk..
I take the pledge and my worst habit is messin with the radio.
My daughter.
I resolve to not read txt messages while at a red light
Why? Because it could save a life.
When the phone rings while driving with my Grands, they know I will not talk until the car is stopped. Period.
I take the pledge and I resolve not to check my phone at red lights. IT CAN WAIT!!
I resolve to stop eating and driving
I resolve to not put on lipstick or gloss while driving.
I will share this pledge with my younger sister.
You can model appropriate cell phone use by waiting until your vehicle is stopped and in park before making any calls.
I’m taking the pledge because I want to do my part to keep drivers as safe on the road as possible.
My only distracted-driving behavior is eating while driving . I took the pledge.
I’m taking the pledge because I want to be a positive example for my kids.
I model appropriate behavior by never texting and using a bluetooth headpiece if I do need to take a call.
I took the pledge and resolve not to answer phone calls when dirving
I’ll be sharing this campaign with my of my kids (who both drive).
My husband
I never text when I drive and teach my son to do the same
I took the pledge and will resist changing the radio station while driving
sharing with my husband
don’t text while driving
took the pledge
I took the pledge. I must stop looking at the phone when stopped at a traffic light!
Took the pledge of not answering phone calls when driving .
I’ll share with my brother who gets into enough accidents as it is lol
I’m taking the pledge because my daughter’s safety as well as innocent people’s safety is important to me
I took the pledge. I resolve not to eat while I am driving to work in the morning.
don’t drive and text
I took the pledge not to fiddle around with the radio. In ice/snow any distraction is a danger!
i resolve to not look at my phone at all while driving and only answer calls via bluetooth.
I know that even PARENTS set a very bad example…they think that nothing could really happen to them. And kids are watching closely. The whole do as I say and not do as I DO is really lame. We need to set an example. My husband is horrible with this and checking a gps while driving. I do argue my point about it and the kids often agree. (We got him a speaker system for calls in his car and that has helped too) But sadly, when in the situation themselves, as with my older kids, they do the same sometimes. I will share this with my kids, especially our son who will be trying for his license in April
Oh boy, I model alright. i do not have the cell attached to my hand or ear. Mostly is lost in my purse. but it’s old and a basic phone so that is probably why. I tell the kids the phone can NOT be in their pocket, but in a holder in the car. They can avert their eyes to see who is calling but not to read a text. If it is an important call, they need to pull over and answer. That is what I do and show them this!
I took the pledge and I will not check email or texts on my phone
I took the pledge and I will stop trying to pass things to my kds when driving b/c it can be distracting.
Pledge. It’s far more important to concentrate what is in front of you than what’s next to you. Just no to that!
I took the pledge….it’s sometimes hard to focus on the road and coach the kids in the back seat
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
I have shared the campaign on facebook on twitter. Even tho I can’t name anyone personally, if my tweet or share just reached one person, then it’s a success for me
Thank you so much for sharing via Facebook and Twitter! I know your shares will make an impact!
my kids aren’t in that age yet, but i believe practicing what I expect my children to do is the best lesson
I took the pledge! I only use my earpiece while driving (phone is always put away, out of reach), BUT I do often dance (sort of) and am sometimes distracted by things I see as I drive by. I resolve to be more attentive to THE ROAD, and not distracted by the rainbow-sliding unicorn I just saw.
Thanks!
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
P.S. I share your horror at your friend’s message. Argh!!
I have already shared this with my FB friends, but I need to really hound my husband about it. He’s a pretty attentive driver, but I have seen him use his phone. Drives me nuts! You can bet he’ll be hearing about this from me.
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
I deliberately put my phone in my bag, and my bag on the passenger-side floor of the car so that I can’t use it while I’m driving. I do wear a bluetooth earpiece so that I can take incoming calls, but that is hands-free, and if the conversation is too complicated I call the person back when I’m out of the car. I have other bad habits, but using my phone is thankfully not one of them.
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
I took the pledge because I know that, no matter how well I think I pay attention, I am often distracted while driving. I also know that it is ‘there but by the grace of God’ that I go unharmed any time I am in the car. And guess what? I haven’t always been so lucky. I broke my back in a car accident when I was twenty years old and have used a wheelchair for nearly half my life, so I DO KNOW–better than most–that you can never be too careful. We must remember and be reminded again, as often as possible, that accidents can happen and our best defense is vigilance and paying attention.
Wish I could remind EVERYBODY on the roads of this!
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
I have taken the pledge and resolve not to get involved in my kids conflicts while driving, but to pull into a parking lot and wait and resolve then so I won’t be distracted
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I take the pledge and resolve not to mess with the radio.
I will share with my son.
I do not text and drive
I’m taking the pledge because I do not want to risk my life or others.
I resolve to stop eating while driving
I don’t text while driving, but I do sometimes become too engrossed in my NPR station. I swear there are days that I don’t have any idea how I got home
I will stop that!
My husband really needs to take the pledge, but specifically for talking on the phone, not texting (he doesn’t text even when he’s not driving
.
I took the pledge. I will no longer merely “read” or text even when at a red light.
I took the pledge. I will try to stop changing radio stations while driving.
I try to remind my wife not to text or tweet while driving.
I leave my phone in one place while driving.
I took the pledge so that I will be around to see my grandsons grow up
I will share my pledge with my husband who usually takes on the wheels. He sometimes just looses focus, lost in his thoughts but he never texts or pick up the phone while driving.
I take the pledge and resolve not to eat while driving.
I do not talk or text while driving.
my mom
I pledge to give up eating while driving.
I am going to share this with my husband, he is the most distracted driver I know
I leave my cell phone put up in my purse while in the car, and explain to them why I do that.
I took the pledge because my brother-in-law died in 2011 due to not paying attention while driving, went off the road and it killed him.
i will be sharing this with a friend who texts and drives and talks all the time. i will do my best to change this.
I resolve to wait to read text messages.
New technology is AWESOME, i luv it!!!
I’m going to stop changing my music while I’m driving.
I’m going to ask my husband to take the pledge too!
I’ll model my behavior to the kids by not reading my texts while I’m driving.
I’m taking the pledge because a second of being distracted can be my life or someone else’s.
I took the pledge to be safe for my kids and I will share with the rest of my family…our bad habit is eating and drinking and I will now wait.
I will share this with all of my family and friends also.
I model good cell phone use by not answering text while driving
I took the pledge – I realized that I was texting one day while my son was in the passenger seat and I realized 1) what a bad example I was setting and 2) how dangerous it was – NO MORE !!!!!
Sharing with my friend Shaleen
by setting my cell phone up via blue tooth for long drives (thru the garmin) or giving to my son to receive any incoming calls
I wrote –> I am taking the pledge to set a good example for my son <– Deborah NY
comment 2
I hate to point fingers at anyone I know who I’ll be send this to Take the pledge. My friend Gabby has a bad habit of texting, she mainly does it at the stop light but still. it’s dangerous.
I’ll share with my brother. That guy has no patience.
I took the pledge. I will not look at my phone while driving. i see how bad other people are when they are talking on their phone while driving.
I will be sharing with my kids.
I never text while driving and I want my kids to do the same. I don’t want them on the phone while driving.
I don’t texting while driving anymore and I share the campaign to save more life.
I shared the campaign through any social media network that I follow.
I attach handsfree device to talk while drive.
It’s a great campaign and I want to share it so more life could be saved.
took pledge
http://itcanwait.com/stories/?submit=1
I’ve actually have been discussing this with my mother who see drivers who seem to not pay attention to what is in front of them.
I took the pledge; I really want to stop answering phone calls while driving,.
I will stop messing the radio while driving
I will share this with my best friend!
I will not talk or answer my phone while driving
I will be sharing with my son as its an important reminder!
I always try to model my cellphone usage as they do learn so much by example. There has been many times my son has tried to reach me, and I always wait until I am stopped to call him back.
I shared why I took the pledge….I have heard alot of stories how it can just take a second. Its so important to remember to not text and drive!
I took the pledge and I resolve to stop taking phone calls while driving
I am going to share this with my sister.
I don’t read or send texts while driving.
I visited AT&T and shared why I ‘m taking the pledge.
I dont have young children but when I have my neice with me and the phone rings I just dont answer unitl I can pull over .
It’s refreshing for companies to actually care. You don’t know what will happen to yourself because you don’t know if people driving around you are paying attention.
I am telling my brother in law about this- he is a horrid driver and when he tries to talk on the phone it is even worse.
I am most definitely taking the pledge, it can most definitely wait. Another point is texting and walking can be very dangerous also depending on our surroundings at the time, my kids complained to me about that a lot.
I model appropriate behavior by letting that call ring through when it’s not appropriate to answer the phone. Not even with a headset will I do it.
I will most definitely be sharing this with my family and friends.
i model appropriate cell phone manners to my kids by not talking on the phone unless it is with bluetooth in the car.
i am taking the pledge because one of my friends was in an accident because he was texting while driving and i don’t want him or anyone else to get hurt for this silly reason.
i took the pledge about a year ago but since then i’m much better about pulling over even to make a phone call.
I’ll get my best friend Darby to take the pledge as well since she spends much of her time traveling from her town to mine.
i model appropriate cell phone use by not texting while driving
i took the pledge after watching a news special about the dangers of texting while driving.
While driving, either choose to ignore the phone if it’s ringing or have the children, if old enough to answer, let the end caller know that you’re currently driving and will call once destination is reached.
sharing with family
no texting during meals
its a very important issuse
One way I model appropriate cell phone usage is I don’t answer while driving. I will not also answer the phone after a certain time at night because I feel boundaries are important.
I shared why I took the pledge. I took it because everyone is someone to someone. Being that they are moms. dads, brothers and sisters and I would never want to hurt someone .
I will share this pledge with my sisters and sister in law.
Who’s the winner??