SEATTLE, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A movement is accomplished through the voices and actions of many. That is why four national wireless service providers, spearheading the It Can Wait campaign, are urging people to share their commitment to never text and drive with others on Drive 4 Pledges Day, September 19 by going to www.itcanwait.com, or text to-pledge by texting icwwashington at 464-329.

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The campaign gained momentum today when Seattle Sounders' FC defender DeAndre Yedlin, AT&T* Washington President Bob Bass and Arthur Garza from Seattle's East Precinct Community Police Team all gathered at Seattle's Garfield High School to encourage students to sign their names to the pledge to not text and drive.

"Texting and driving is a serious issue with dangerous consequences," said Yedlin.  "I'm taking the pledge to never text and drive, won't you?"

"We all know that texting while driving is extremely dangerous," said Harrell. "Too often we hear about a life lost, or forever changed because a driver couldn't wait to send or receive a text. It's not worth it. We have the power to stop these tragedies by taking the It Can Wait pledge and saying no to texting while driving. Your life, or the life of someone you know, could depend on it."

"Texting while driving claims too many lives, and raising awareness of this completely preventable tragedy is the key to saving them," said AT&T's Bass.  "We've seen success before through our seatbelts and our drunk-driving campaigns. Taking the It Can Wait pledge means you're committed to driving focused and distraction-free."

"I've seen the numbers," Interim Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel said. "Texting has become a major cause of accidents. You can't stay focused on the road if you are sending or even reading a text. The average text will take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. That means at just 40 mph you're driving blind for the length of a football field."

On September 19, Drive 4 Pledges Day, supporters of the movement are called to help spread the word to their families, friends and communities.  Advocates will be encouraged to do things like change their social profile photos and banner to It Can Wait graphics, and share their personal pledge stories using the hashtag #ItCanWait.  Offline activations will include hosting pledge drives and distributing posters in their schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.  All materials such as social graphics and posters will be available for download from ItCanWait.com.

Individuals joining in Drive 4 Pledges Day will be part of a variety of activations and awareness campaigns coast-to-coast, including:

• Nearly 2,000 Drive 4 Pledges activities will be held in communities across the nation, including more than 1,500 at high schools. Additionally, 200+ proclamations will be issued.
• Teens, parents and educators are being encouraged to join the It Can Wait movement at the Educational Edge Expo^SM in Kennewick, WA. AT&T Will Hold It Can Wait Pledge Drive from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 21.
• #ItCanWait tweets and Instagram posts will stream on ItCanWait.com.
• A National Organizations for Youth Safety Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Summit in Washington D.C. will be held Sept. 18-20, including a rally on Sept. 19 with over 75 teens, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, NTSB Member Christopher Hart and Aly Raisman, The Century Council Ambassador.
• Youth organizations like the Girl Scouts will participate. Girl Scouts of the USA will activate its 112 councils nationwide to support It Can Wait through social media and member engagement.

Individuals can now sign up at ItCanWait.com to get resources that will help them share their commitment on social media and personalize the movement on the streets of their communities on key activation days.  Aspiring to create a social stigma around this dangerous habit of texting while driving, Drive 4 Pledges Day will focus on getting individuals involved in taking the pledge to never text and drive while encouraging others in their community to do the same.

In fact, a ConnectSafely.org¹ survey found that individuals who speak up can have a profound impact, particularly on teens.

• 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.
• 44% say that they would be thankful if a passenger complained about their texting while driving.

The It Can Wait movement is making a difference. One-in-three people who've seen the texting while driving message say they've changed their driving habits², the campaign has inspired more than 2.5 million pledges never to text and drive and the recently launched "From One Second To The Next" documentary has received more than 2 million views since Aug. 8. To take the pledge and get more information, visit www.ItCanWait.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

¹ ConnectSafely.org survey sponsored by AT&T ² AT&T Texting While Driving … It Can Wait Perceptions Study

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