This post is a sponsored collaboration with AT&T and the It Can Wait campaign.
YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE
On average, 8 people are killed everyday because of distracted driving.
Do I have your attention now? Unlike most of my posts, today I’m here to talk about a very real and rather unpleasant topic. Today, we’re going to talk about the very real dangers of distracted driving.
As parents we know that the everyday world behind the wheel is already full of distractions. The cars around you, the noisy construction up the street, the kids crying for juice in the backseat, the blinking lights in the crosswalk, the hot dad buying a coffee on the corner (oh, just I noticed that?) and so much more. However, when you look at your phone, even if for a moment, your phone becomes the biggest distraction of them all. You already are aware that when you’re behind the wheel, things can change quickly. However, did you know that you can drive the entire length of a football field in the time it takes you to read one simple text? That is the equivalent of driving 100 yards in 5 seconds…all while your eyes aren’t even on the road, but instead on the mobile phone in your hand. While driving, a few seconds can make the difference between life and death.
The AT&T It Can Wait VR Experience
In March 2018, with the mission of getting our attention, the AT&T It Can Wait campaign launched a new virtual reality experience to show the potentially deadly consequences of glancing at our phones while driving. This message is shared through real-life stories of distracted driving consequences to help raise awareness and ultimately save lives. People can also visit ItCanWait.com/VR to view the experience at home.
My family and I were invited to try the new AT&T It Can Wait Virtual Reality experience for ourselves as a part of this campaign. The VR experience is a theatrical and dramatic production that places the viewer in an immersive 3D setting, face-to-face with the dangers of distracted driving. It was truly an eye-opening experience for my oldest son and I. Having never used a VR system before, my son was captivated by the experience and most of all – the message that “It Can Wait” while driving. He will be driving in just a few short years and I am thankful that the AT&T It Can Wait message was able to resonate with him. I also took the moral to heart and I have committed to distraction-free driving as a result of this experience. The real-life stories of each of the people in the AT&T It Can Wait Virtual Reality experience was so life-like that I felt as though I was in the same room as them. The VR experience truly opened my eyes to the dangers of distracted driving. I know now that the safety of those I love most is what is most important.
Take the Pledge and Join the Movement
AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign shares a simple message: Distracted driving is never OK. I am urging you…no, rather I am begging you to choose your most precious cargo (aka your family) over your phone while driving. Take the pledge and save a life: view the new VR experience.
Over 23 million personal commitments have been made to never drive distracted. Those people know that IT CAN WAIT. 7-in-10 drivers who have pledged are keeping their commitment to not use their smartphones behind the wheel.
57% of people are more likely to stop driving distracted if a friend or passenger pressures them to. That means half of people are just waiting for someone to tell them to stop! Encourage others to stop driving distracted and help keep each other accountable!
AT&T DriveMode
AT&T DriveMode is a free app available to customers of all wireless carriers for iPhone and Android that helps people curb the urge to text and drive. The app, which is also available in Spanish, can silence incoming alerts and phone calls so you stay focused while driving. Its auto mode feature automatically turns on the app when you reach 15 MPH and turns it off after you stop. AT&T DriveMode can help keep young drivers safe by sending a message to a parent if the app is turned off. I encourage everyone to download it today!
