Don't Zone Out, It Can Wait

LAKE PLACID, NY (10/20/2013)(readMedia)-- More than a thousand CSEA members will have the unique opportunity to experience the dangers of distracted driving without anyone getting hurt when the union holds its 103rd Annual Delegates meeting in Lake Placid starting Monday, Oct. 21. AT& T's "It Can Wait" campaign will be on hand with its online distracted driving simulator to educate on the dangers of texting while driving.

"This is about saving lives," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "Distracted driving can bring tragedy and change lives in an instant."

CSEA has long recognized distracted driving as a serious issue that directly affects members as drivers and workers.

"Each year, thousands of our members are out there putting themselves at risk on the roadways and especially working on the roadways and bridges," Donohue said. "Every year we have members who are seriously injured or lose their lives in incidents that don't have to happen if people would use good judgment and common sense."

In 2010, the union launched an ongoing distracted driving campaign called "Don't Zone Out", aimed at educating the public about roadway safety, especially in work zones (www.facebook.com/DontZoneOut).

AT&T, its employees and other supporters encourage all drivers to make the commitment to stop texting and driving and to the "It Can Wait" message in their community. The public can take the pledge at www.ItCanWait.com and also use resources on the site to create their own local events. Drivers can also share their promise with others via Twitter (#itcanwait) and Facebook. The pledge effort is part of the company's public awareness campaign aimed to make texting and driving as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving. Research has found texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be in an accident and more than 100,000 car crashes and injuries happen while a driver was texting and driving.

AT&T will be on hand during the convention to educate attendees about the dangers of texting and will provide an online "It Can Wait" driving simulator which provides a safe environment to experience first-hand the dangers of texting while driving. The online simulator's virtual reality video game provides the driver with a "city" to drive through including traffic lights, stop signs, and other motorists. The game sends the driver "text messages" while driving the course and asks the driver to respond to the text message on the cell phone that's connected to the game. The online simulator is free to the public and available at www.itcanwaitsimulator.org.

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