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BACKGROUNDER
September 13, 2016
AT&Ts LAUNCHED CAMPAIGN
AT&T has started the It Can Wait campaign which is an initiative to stop individuals
from texting and driving. This campaign produced over four million pledges to never text and
drive. Over 1,500 organizations and 50,000 individuals are participating in the program. A recent
study conducted by AT&T using automobile crash data from Florida, Texas, and Illinois found
that It Can Wait campaign activity had a positive statistical correlation with a projected
reduction in automobile crashes, meaning getting people involved with the activities of the It
Can Wait campaign, has potential to result in a decrease in automobile accidents related to using
the phone while driving.

The goal of this campaign is to get drivers to keep their eyes on the road and off their
mobile devices. In an effort to do so AT&T is educating drivers on the safety and importance of
keeping your phone down while driving. AT&T created a mobile app for smartphones that puts
your phone in stall mode while driving. When you receive a text message, a screen will pop up
with a message displaying It can wait. There is also a hand that demonstrates you should put
your phone down and pay attention to the road. Students can benefit from this app by being
encouraged to abstain from texting and driving.
This campaign started in 2010 and today has completed 243 tour stops in 2016. The
campaign is traveling next to NC State in Raleigh, Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and University of
Florida in Gainesville. These tour stops are all in an effort to emphasize the importance of talking
with people about this issue.

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The tour will be in Blacksburg on October 6 and will include many fun events for
students to participate in. There will be an It Can Wait driving simulator at Squires Student
Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. As well as a free concert by Tim Mcgraw that will be on the drill
field from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. This concert will be available to all Virginia Tech students in an
effort to increase attendance for the campaign.

Media Contact:
Name: Mary Claire Byrne
Email: marycb7@vt.edu
Phone: 703-434-2077