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For more information, contact:

Daniel Langan, AT&T
dan.langan@att.com
717-215-5296             

Mairin Bellack, NJ Motor Vehicle Commission
Mairin.Bellack@mvc.nj.gov
609-292-5203

RELEASE: July 20, 2015

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MEDIA RELEASE

AT&T, NJ Motor vehicle commission remind GARDEN STATE drivers:

Just drive…it can wait 3D Experience Educates Drivers on the Dangers of Smartphone Distracted Driving

            WEST DEPTFORD, NJ (JULY 20, 2015) — Citing new research that shows 7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving, 1 AT&T and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) today teamed up for the first of two events in New Jersey to address a dangerous practice—smartphone driving distractions.

To drive home the message and these new findings, AT&T set up a virtual reality simulator at the NJMVC center in West Deptford, allowing the center’s customers to experience firsthand how dangerous it can be when you take your eyes off the road and direct them onto your phone.

“Simply put, using a smartphone while driving can be deadly – for drivers, their passengers and for everyone on the road,” said Charlene Brown, AT&T’s regional vice president for External Affairs in New Jersey. “Behind the wheel, everything can change in the blink of an eye. A post, a selfie, a text, a scroll, an email—one look is all it takes. This new simulation shows the real consequences of looking at your phone while driving. Together with the Motor Vehicle Commission, we want to remind all drivers to just drive; it can wait.”

Raymond Martinez, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Chairman and Chief Administrator, said today’s event is part of its ongoing campaign known as Just Drive, which was launched earlier this year in an effort to combat the high incidence of talking and texting while driving.  Just Drive is a multi-media outreach and education campaign designed to make people think twice before engaging in this dangerous behavior.

“It’s not enough to simply tell people about fines and penalties. We all have to work together to change this dangerous behavior – just as we have done in educating motorists about the dangers of drinking and driving and in increasing seat belt usage. Over the coming months, the NJMVC’s “JustDrive” campaign and AT&T’s national “It Can Wait” campaign hopes to reach millions of drivers – before they get a ticket or before they are involved in a crash. Our message is simple; driving is a serious personal responsibility.  Be safe – just drive,” said Martinez.

Today’s stop is the latest in a series of events planned throughout the Mid-Atlantic region through the end of August. To date, AT&T’s simulator tour stopped in Washington, DC; Beltsville, MD; Wilmington, DE; and Philadelphia, PA.  Later this week, AT&T and NJMVC will host a similar event in South Brunswick, NJ. Other stops are planned in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia through the end of August.

Samsung, Bose and Google are supporting the immersive tour experience, which is delivered through Samsung Gear VR, with premium sound from Bose QuietComfort® 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones. 

It Can Wait is a national movement urging drivers to visit www.ItCanWait.com, where they can pledge to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phone, and share their pledge with others via Twitter (#ItCanWait) and Facebook. What started as a campaign focused on not texting and driving has now expanded its focus to the broader dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel. Since its launch in 2010, the campaign has:

  • Helped drive awareness of the dangers of texting while driving to about 90% for all audiences surveyed.
  • Inspired more than 6.5 million pledges not to text and drive.
  • Worked with departments of transportation in Texas, Kentucky and other states on research that suggests a correlation between It Can Wait campaign activities and a reduction in crashes. 

*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.

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