As Wisconsin marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, about 800 students at Janesville Craig High School learned today about the dangers of smartphone activities while driving and were encouraged to take the pledge to keep their eyes on the road and not on their phones.
Janesville Craig High School teamed up with AT&T*, AAA, the Wisconsin State Patrol and State Senator Janis Ringhand as part of the It Can Wait® campaign to remind students that smartphone activity can – and should – wait until after driving.
“In this age of the smartphone, we know many drivers are not only texting behind the wheel, but they are also checking social media, surfing the internet, and even video chatting when they should be focused on the road,” said Assistant Principal Shawn Kane. “Distracted driving is extremely dangerous and just not worth the risk. We hope our students take the It Can Wait message seriously and pledge to put their phones down when they are behind the wheel.”
The event featured AAA’s distracted driving simulator, which allows students to experience the dangers of smartphone activities behind the wheel. Teens also watched two short films produced as part of AT&T’s “The Face of Distracted Driving” series that feature stories of teenage boys killed by smartphone distracted driving (Caleb’s story and Forrest’s story).
“The message of our It Can Wait campaign is simple – distracted driving is never okay,” said Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin. “One glance at your phone while driving can change everything and even cost you your life. We are urging all drivers, especially our teens, to keep their eyes on the road and not on their phones.”
The assembly was one in a series of high school events AT&T, AAA and the Wisconsin State Patrol are holding this school year to drive home the dangers of distracted driving and encourage students to take the pledge. The event is part of AT&T’s It Can Wait® campaign, which has expanded from a focus on texting while driving to include other smartphone activities now common behind the wheel.
