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Dayton
Business Journal...
AT&T
app seeks to reduce texting
while driving
by DBJ Staff
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
AT&T
Inc. has launched the
DriveMode mobile application as part of its It Can Wait campaign
against
texting while driving.
When
downloaded and activated,
DriveMode automatically sends a customizable reply to an incoming text,
notifying the sender that the user is driving and unable to respond.
The app
can also be set to disable emails, incoming and outgoing calls, and Web
browsing.
“As
a leading service provider, we
want to educate and equip wireless customers with the tools they need
to stay
safe on the road,” said Charlene Lake, AT&T public affairs
chief
sustainability officer and senior VP, said in a news release. “That’s
why we’re
proud to introduce AT&T DriveMode as the next wave of our ‘It
Can Wait’
campaign. We’re hoping to reach new and experienced drivers alike to
generate a
change in behavior and underscore our message that, when it comes to
texting and
driving, it can – and should – wait.”
AT&T
DriveMode is now available
for BlackBerry users and officials anticipate it being compatible with
additional devices in the coming months.
Last
year, AT&T introduced “The
Last Text,” a 10-minute documentary that features true stories of
families and
individuals whose lives have been impacted by texting while driving.
According
to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, texting is considered as a driving distraction. Others
include
grooming, reading, using a cell phone and talking to passengers.
In
2009, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration reported that 20 percent of injury accidents
involved
distracted driving. Of those killed in distracted driving-related
crashes, 995
involved reports of a cellphone as the distraction.
AT&T
has more than 1,000 employees
in the Dayton area through a regional headquarters as well as dozens of
retail
wireless stores selling smartphones, mobile tablets and other devices
and
service plans.
Read
it with links at Dayton Business
Journal
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