Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: AT&T, Texting, Driving, Campaign, Stephenson | Themes: Software, Smartphones, Networking, Business, 3GSM
AT&T is feeling a bit frisky and is now launching a campaign to stomp drivers who text while behind the wheel. Apparently, this form of communication is considered "dangerous," and has even sparked a federal Distracted Driving Summit that is schedule to begin tomorrow in Washington. AT&T's new campaign will focus on warning cell-phone users about the dangers of texting while driving, however the company put an emphasis on a particular age group: teens.
"Texting has increasingly become the way to communicate for many people, and the urge to quickly read and respond--even while driving--can be tempting," said AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson. "Our goal is to send a simple, yet vital, message to all wireless users: don’t text and drive."
The campaign won't simply consist of a few ads on television. In fact, AT&T plans to install warning on all phones sold by the company before the holiday season. AT&T also plans to crack down on company employees, expressively prohibiting texting behind the wheel while driving on the job (which encompasses around 290,000 workers). To round out the robust campaign, AT&T will hit consumers with public service announcements, an online resource center, and will even promote its "no texting" message through in-store signs, on subscriber bills, and more.
Recent researchers have discovered that texting and driving can reduce the driver's ability to drive safety much like alcohol impairs cognitive abilities. One study even suggests that people who text while driving are at a higher risk of getting into an accident: 23 times more than the non-texting driver. Currently 14 states have some type of law banning texting while driving, however there is now a bill pending in the U.S. Senate which will require all states to ban texting while driving, or face a reduction of federal highway funds each year.
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Good idea. Surprised it came from AT&T.
i think texting should be banned altogether. it was bad enough seeing everybody with a cell phone glued to their head, but humans found a way to be even less social, they eliminate talking.
but yes texting while driving needs to be banned, with a really nasty ticket attached to it.
I wish people would stop fucking with natural selection, and stop putting warnings on everything. "Rat poison, do no eat.", "Objects may be closer than they appear", "No running" (around a pool)... "DON'T DRINK TOILET WATER".
Pretty soon I won't be able to buy scissors without some kind of disclaimer warning me NOT to impale and kill myself with them.
Lets just get rid of the warnings on everything, and let nature run its course.
@VioMeTriX
Quite a few states have already passed legislation making it illegal for Teens to text while driving. Most adults are responsible enough to wait until they come to a red light, stop sign, or are otherwise NOT merging onto the freeway, but those silly teenagers... not so much.
Mythbusters demonstrated that texting while driving is just as bad as drunken driving. Did these people just figured out? They need to watch that show.
good but It not enough. you think hitting a curb would stop people or me driving but it dose not.
they should make a law that I can hit you car if you seen texting when driving that would stop them
@fulle
i agree with you on the warning about others things but if some one else is effected by you actions like a car accident then there should be something against it, i dont care what happens to the texter but others and my self.
even a red light is annoying because the don't see it go green.
Maybe this is where telepathy starts...
We advance to a point where communication is done through words on a screen. Step one complete. Next we create a device that types the text on your phone through thought (probably already a technology for the physically impaired). The next advancement, implant a chip that allows you to send "text thoughts" right to a friends phone using wireless (im sure someone could build this soon with existing technology).
Then, bypass the phone altogether, and instantly send a thought to a friend. No more talking, artificial telepathy has been created.
The only reason AT&T would have said it would be because:
They were paid to do it
They were threatened with a stupid class-action lawsuit from the same idiots that sued McDonald's for their hot coffee.
They are about to release a new feature on their phones that disable phone use while in motion, but for $19.95 a month, they will allow you to use your phone while you drive. This feature will also be free to those with at least two AT&T monthly fee-based products.*
*not available in all states. This is a limited time offer. Terms and conditions apply. AT&T is not responsible for deaths caused by mobile phone use while in motion. The iPhone does not suck.
AT&T: "Stop Texting Behind the Wheel! It's overloading our network!"
I wish people would stop fucking with natural selection, and stop putting warnings on everything. "Rat poison, do no eat.", "Objects may be closer than they appear", "No running" (around a pool)... "DON'T DRINK TOILET WATER". Pretty soon I won't be able to buy scissors without some kind of disclaimer warning me NOT to impale and kill myself with them.Lets just get rid of the warnings on everything, and let nature run its course.
I agree that this workplace health and safety mentality has gone too far, but I don't wanna be walking along a foot path and have a car hit me from behind. I fail to see how that's fair? how thats natural selection? what? only people who don't go outside deserve to survive?
In my city they passed a law making it illegal for 16-18 yr. olds to text while driving, and also 25 and older. So I guess us 19-24 yr. olds are the only ones who can handle it?? Stupidest law ever.
All I have to say is that the warning better not be like the GPS units that warn you every f***ing time you turn it on.
p.s. +1 for fulle and natural selection.
@fulle
im all for natural selection working its course.
I just dont want to be the one selected to be run over while some retard is texting while driving.
AFAIK, texting is usually done by teens and teens haven't developed driving skills yet so yeah it'd be a good idea to not text while driving. When I was still a teen, I almost wrecked my car a few times and nearly spun out a couple times and this was driving without a cel phone. But I didn't crash. Can't say that everyone is as skilled of a driver and I'm not the best either, I don't weave in and out of traffic and all that nonsense I think I would crash. Also I found out very quick that it is impossible to drive a manual with a cel phone, anyone disputing that and saying "oh heee hee! here's how to do it" u are a moron cos it is not safe and I wouldn't bother practicing. It is illegal to drive using a cel phone in my state and there's still a bunch of neanderthal "above the law" people here.
Who the hell would text?
Its all about the hands free calls man
They're worried about texting and driving? Hell, I Facebook and drive ;-)
Theres a larger issue with general cell phone use and driving all together. I've found that talking while driving is more of an ability, kind of like being able to do a backflip, some can do it with no problems while others fail miserabley.
Continued...
Unfortunately, more people fail than succeed.
Man, when I see some douchebag texting in a car (it is totally obvious, head down, foot off the throttle) I wanna run out in front of it and let that bastard hit me. I have tried to text and drive and find it completely fucking pointless unless you wanna have a mass murder on your hands. Anyone who agrees with BANNING texting all together gets my vote. You should have to be 18 or some bullshit. I know people that text NOOOOOOOOOOOON STOOOOOOOOOOP. Do you know how that makes me feel? It makes me wanna take the phone, stick up their ass and dial the number. Then they can talk shit about how I am wrong for saying they don't deserve that CRAP.
Hey, anyone here browse Tom's while driving and leave comments?
A major part of the benefits of texting is that you DON'T need to respond immediately and can reply at your own convenience. So why do people still feel the need to respond immediately even if it can easily endanger their own and other's lives?
Who the hell would text?Its all about the hands free calls man
Talking is still a distraction.
It's illegal in IL, well, not until January 1, but I agree with the law and AT&T that it's a good step to curb accidents that could potentially injure other law abiding drivers on the road.
A major part of the benefits of texting is that you DON'T need to respond immediately and can reply at your own convenience. So why do people still feel the need to respond immediately even if it can easily endanger their own and other's lives?
According to the f*cktards who text and drive, it's far more important to let the other person know what you think of (insert inconsequential event here) than the lives of other people.
People who cause an accident due to inattention should have the maximum penalty imposed upon them. Then, if they want their licence back, they should be made to take their driving lessons and tests in Tokyo to get it back, at their expense.
(I say that because the difficulty of getting a licence in Tokyo is huge, and would most likely keep the retards who find not concentrating on your mobile phone off the roads 'cos it would be too much effort for them).
I wonder how many times they have heard "well duh!" today. Well it's late, but I guess for a big lumbering company like AT&T it's pretty fast. I don't think this will change peoples habits too much unfortunately.
Hey, we should get Ralph Nader to write a book "Unsafe with any text"
.
I've been almost part of the pavement several times because of cellphones... drivers, watch were you're fucking going!
Alas, I haven't been hit by someone texting while driving (yet).
Yes. Please don't text and drive. Do, however, surf the web and drive. Do post to facebook and drive. Do type and read emails while you drive. Do post to twitter while you drive. Do read a book on your iPhone while you drive. Do read the news while you drive. Do get GPS directions while you drive.
Texting while driving is dangerous but I can think of 10-15 things off the top of my head that I can do with my iPhone that are more dangerous and more distracting than texting. On top of that I can think of 50 or so things that don't involve a phone that are more dangerous than texting. I can also show you about 10 people I personally know that are so incompetent behind the wheel I would rather get in my friends car while he is rip-roaring drunk than take my chances with them, cell phone or not.
And to the people saying this is a teenage thing. Where the hell do you live and what makes you think adults don't send text messages??? Five out of every six drivers that I think to myself "they can't possibly have an IQ above 80" are adults and at least half of the people I see texting are adults. Oh yeah and the only time I saw someone driving down the highway while reading a novel? Yup. Grown ass man at least in his 40s. Don't seem to ever see any PSA's about reading a novel while driving though.
And just one last thing. Texting while driving isn't as dangerous as drunk driving. Mythbusters got paid to do that one and it was extremely unscientific. While you are actually texting it is quite dangerous but the simple difference between texting and drunk driving is you can DROP THE PHONE in a dangerous situation and simply stop texting. You can't just stop being drunk once you get on the highway.
I don't see the point of aiming this at teens?
1) teens know they shouldn't
2) teens are so used to texting that they don't need to 'think' while doing so
3) teens are so used to texting that they don't need to look at the phone while doing so
4) teens don't care about what they should or shouldn't anyway
5) middle aged men are more easily distracted from driving and I would assume more prone to crashing when looking at the screen instead of out the window
Here's a simple fix, which should be mandated by the government for wireless carriers and cellphone/smartphone companies to comply with. Use either or both accelerometers/GPS within these devices to detect motion/speed and automatically disable texting, IM'ing, or access to the keyboard/touchpad accept for a button which activates hands free calling via voice prompt to dial from the address book.
Here's a simple fix, which should be mandated by the government for wireless carriers and cellphone/smartphone companies to comply with. Use either or both accelerometers/GPS within these devices to detect motion/speed and automatically disable texting, IM'ing, or access to the keyboard/touchpad accept for a button which activates hands free calling via voice prompt to dial from the address book.
And how does the gps distinquish between situations where you're on a train, plane, boat, bus, or a passenger in a car, and those situations where you're doing the texting?
I imagine it'd be quite annoying to be kidnapped by some mafia guys, and find yourself unable to operate your hidden phone whilst enjoying the ride in their boot.
"doing the texting? " = "doing the driving? "
I wish people would stop fucking with natural selection, and stop putting warnings on everything. "Rat poison, do no eat.", "Objects may be closer than they appear", "No running" (around a pool)... "DON'T DRINK TOILET WATER". Pretty soon I won't be able to buy scissors without some kind of disclaimer warning me NOT to impale and kill myself with them.Lets just get rid of the warnings on everything, and let nature run its course.
The basic and fundamental issue with this idiotic idea is that some stupid teenager with a texting addiction can take out a rocket scientist in the car next to them in an accident or a half dozen pedestrians on a street corner of differing skill sets.
Usually in an accident there is someone else involved. Get it genius?