Governors Highway Safety Association Awards AT&T For It Can Wait Initiative

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Oct 07, 2014, 01:24 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T has received the prestigious Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award from the Governor's Highway Safety Association (GHSA). The award recognizes notable achievements in the field of highway safety.

AT&T Georgia President Beth Shiroishi is joined at the AT&T Drive Studio by, from L-R: Georgia State Rep. Jay Roberts, Harris Blackwood, Director-Governor's Office of Highway Safety; and Georgia State Sen. Steve Gooch. (PRNewsFoto/AT&T)

Georgia State Sen. Steve Gooch signs a "statement of unity" with the AT&T It Can Wait movement, as Georgia Rep. Jay Roberts and Governor's Office of Highway Safety Director Harris Blackwood look on. The statement on unity serves as a public proclamation to continue working to end texting while driving and develop positive solutions. (PRNewsFoto/AT&T)

The award was presented to AT&T for its It Can Wait ® initiative, which was developed to end texting while driving by encouraging behavior change. In 2013, AT&T expanded the movement, engaging more than 2,500 organizations and companies, and helping to raise awareness of the dangers of texting and driving for high-risk audiences including teens and commuters.¹ The It Can Wait pledge campaign has inspired more than five million personal commitments to never text and drive – many among friends and family who pledged to keep each other accountable.

It Can Wait has created more awareness around the issue of distracted driving, spurring social and political change. Through the grassroots efforts of programs like It Can Wait, texting and driving is now banned in 44 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"The goal of the It Can Wait program is to change the thinking and behavior of all wireless users, and we are honored that this message - and these efforts - have been recognized by the Governor's Highway Safety Association," said AT&T Georgia President Beth Shiroishi. "As a wireless company, we recognize we have a responsibility to educate our customers about the dangerous consequences of texting while driving, and our message is clear: No text is worth a life…It Can Wait."

Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety Director Harris Blackwood presented the award to Shiroishi on behalf of the GHSA.

"We're pleased to support AT&T on the It Can Wait program in Georgia and ask drivers to be responsible by not texting while driving," said Blackwood. "We are diligently working with partners across the state to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving, and Gov. Nathan Deal was the first governor in the nation to appoint an all-teen board to recommend major changes to teen driving education and penalties for breaking state texting and driving laws."

Previous O'Rourke award winners include: Washington State's "Click it or Ticket" campaign, The Century Council, Kentucky Governor Ernest Fletcher, the New Jersey Teen Driver Study Commission, AARP Driver Safety Program, among others.

The ceremony took place at the innovative AT&T Drive Studio in Atlanta. The Drive Studio is a working lab where AT&T tests and develops technologies to enhance the driving experience by improving safety, convenience and entertainment. The more than 5,000-square foot AT&T Drive Studio features working garage bays, a speech lab, a full showroom to exhibit the latest innovations, conference facilities, and much more.

¹ Teen Survey & Commuter Survey

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best global wireless coverage, based on offering roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier, and offers the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse^® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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SOURCE AT&T