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For more information, contact: Daniel Langan, AT&T Mairin Bellack, NJ Motor Vehicle Commission RELEASE: July 23, 2015 ![]() |
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 SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ (JULY 23, 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 second 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 South Brunswick, 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,” Martinez said. 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; Philadelphia, PA, and West Deptford, 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:
*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.
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