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It Can Wait Simulator Event at La Crosse Boys & Girls Club

Highlights Dangers of Distracted Driving
New Research Shows Smartphone Use Has Grown Beyond Texting;
Nearly 4 in 10 Smartphone Users Tap Into Social Media While Driving
LA CROSSE, Tuesday, June 16, 2015 Teens at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater La Crosse learned today about
the dangers of smartphone activities while driving and were encouraged to take the pledge to keep their eyes on the
road, not on their phones.
The event featured the AT&T It Can Wait simulator, which is visiting La Crosse as part of a nationwide tour to raise

awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. AT&T is expanding the It Can Wait campaign from a focus on
texting while driving to include other smartphone distractions that have emerged as our relationships with our devices
have changed.
When we launched the It Can Wait campaign five years ago, our message was simple no text is worth a life, said
Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin. The same applies to other smartphone activities people are
now doing while driving. We are urging drivers, especially our teens, to please keep their eyes on the road and not on
their phones.
New research from AT&T shows that smartphone use has grown beyond texting, with 7 in 10 people engaging in
smartphone activities while driving. Texting and emailing are still the most prevalent. But other smartphone activity
use behind the wheel is now common, with 4 in 10 drivers tapping into social media. Among social platforms,
Facebook tops the list, with more than a quarter of those polled using the app while driving. About 1 in 7 say theyre
on Twitter behind the wheel. Almost 3 in 10 surf the net, and surprisingly, 1 in 10 video chat.
In todays connected world, we know how tempting it is for our teens to respond to that text or Facebook message
right away, even while driving, said Mike Desmond, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater La Crosse.
But they need to know that distractions like texting and smartphone use prevent all of us from being safe drivers. We
are proud to help raise awareness about the dangers and keep our teen drivers safe.

Wisconsin law bans 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.
With two children of my own, I know firsthand how constantly teens text, said State Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse).
The It Can Wait campaign is so important to get the message across to our young people that we need to keep our
phones down and our eyes on the road when driving.
According to new research by AT&T, smartphone activities people say they do while driving include:

Text (61%)
2
Email (33%)
Surf the net (28%)
3
Facebook (27%)
Snap a selfie/photo (17%)
3
Twitter (14%)
3
Instagram (14%)
Shoot a video (12%)
3
Snapchat (11%)
Video chat (10%)

Other unsettling findings include:

4
62% keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving.
30% of people who post to Twitter while driving do it all the time.
22% who access social networks while driving cite addiction as a reason.
Of those who shoot videos behind the wheel, 27% think they can do it safely while driving.
AT&T will use the survey findings to help drive awareness of the dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel, and to
encourage life-saving behavior change. It will collaborate with social platforms to share the message.

AT&T first launched the It Can Wait campaign in 2010 to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving
and encourage consumers to take the pledge to not text and drive at www.ItCanWait.com.
The campaign has now turned into a national social movement with support from organizations all across the country,
including the Wisconsin State Patrol and AAA. Since 2010, AT&T, AAA and the State Patrol have partnered together
to hold events in 75 cities throughout Wisconsin, reaching nearly 31,000 high school students.
The It Can Wait campaign has inspired over 6.6 million pledges not to text and drive across the country.
Visit www.ItCanWait.com to learn more.

*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 Research commissioned by AT&T and conducted by Braun Research. Polled 2,067 people in the U.S. aged 16-65 who use their smartphone and
drive at least once a day. Additional information available here.
2 Read, send or reply.
3 View or post.
4 In their hand, lap or cup holder, or on the passenger seat or dash.

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