U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, singer Jordin Sparks, Congressional and Allstate leaders urge Americans to stop texting and driving
April 27th, 2010 - 11:59 pm ICT by BNO NewsNORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, singer Jordin Sparks, Congressional leaders and Allstate senior executives gathered to urge Americans to stop texting and driving during an Allstate campaign on Tuesday.
Allstate’s “X the TXT” campaign, which is part of a broader campaign to make roads safer, encourages teens and their parents to avoid electronic devices, and not text while driving.
American Idol superstar Sparks and her mom Jodi kicked off the campaign in November 2009 when they publicly pledged not to text and drive by leaving their thumbprints on a pledge banner that traveled the country this past holiday season.
The X the TXT movement began with an official 30-city tour with live pledge events, a Facebook virtual pledge page, as well as a petition urging Congress to address the issue of texting while driving.
“Eleven teens die every day in car crashes. Pledging not to text and drive is a powerful act that anyone can take to help ensure those we love come home safely,” said Bill Vainisi, vice president and deputy general counsel at Allstate. “But we can and must do more. More young lives will be saved when our efforts to change social norms are backed by strong distracted driving laws and rigorous enforcement. The time to act is now.”
“Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic, and we need to work together to stop thousands of unnecessary injuries and deaths every year,” said Secretary LaHood. “I applaud the efforts of Allstate to encourage Americans to take personal responsibility and help put an end to this dangerous behavior.”
To date, over 75,000 Americans have pledged not to text and drive, and close to 5,000 individuals have signed the petition urging Congress to pass federal legislation banning texting while driving.
“Sending a text is not worth taking a life,” said Grammy-nominated Jordin Sparks. “Unfortunately, it can be easy to forget the dangers of texting and driving when you get behind the wheel. That’s why it is important for teens, their friends and families to acknowledge the risks and pledge together not to do it.”
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