GWU Event Discourages Texting While Driving

Steps from Georgetown in Foggy Bottom, industry leaders and government officials joined with the George Washington University community to spread the word about the dangers of texting while driving as part of the It Can Wait campaign.

At the GW Safety Expo leaders recognized the importance of No Text on Board Pledge Day and urged drivers to commit to never text and drive again.

“A text can wait. This message can’t,” said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson in a prepared statement. “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.1”

According to a fact sheet from AT&T people who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood applauded AT&T for their role in the safety campaign.

"Texting behind the wheel may only take a few moments, but it can have a lifetime of consequences," said LaHood in a prepared statement.

In addition to the speakers, the expo featured a texting while driving simulator, which mirrors the dangers of a texting while driving experience.

To learn more about the hazards of texting while driving, check out the It Can Wait website: http://itcanwait.com/.