New Documentary Shows The Aftermath Of Texting & Driving

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Injuring or even killing someone because you were texting while driving is a life-changing experience.  There are countless stories of people who took their eyes off the road for a second and ended up in an accident that changed their lives and the lives of others forever.

People who are living with the consequences of those experiences are the focus of a powerful new documentary created by acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog to reach millions with a message on the dangers of texting and driving.  In the short film, Herzog expands on the stories he tells through the 30-second "Texting & Driving … It Can Wait" spots launched in May by wireless carriers AT&T (NYSE: T), Sprint, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Verizon.  By giving voice to the individuals who caused the accidents and the many people whose lives have forever been changed by them, Herzog shows the devastating aftermath that can be created when a driver turns their attention to a single, meaningless text.  

"When you get a message while driving, it's hard not to pick up your phone," said Herzog. "With this film, we want to help make people more aware of the potential consequences of that action."

The It Can Wait^® campaign helps drive awareness of the dangers of texting while driving, encourages individuals to pledge not to text and drive, and enables those who have made a personal commitment to influence others.  By sharing tools like this film with schools and safety advocates, and by making them available free to the public, the carriers are working to encourage responsible use of wireless technology.

The documentary will be available at ItCanWait.com, a site where anyone can go to get more information about the issue, share their story, take the pledge not to text and drive, and get resources to help make others aware of the dangers. The film also will be distributed to more than 40,000 high schools nationwide, and hundreds of safety organizations and government agencies. The carriers will post it to their YouTube sites, and it will be available as on-demand content for customers of AT&T U-verse.

The It Can Wait^® campaign, created to end texting and driving, has evolved into a movement.  It currently is supported by the four largest U.S. wireless carriers, more than 200 other organizations and thousands of caring individuals. The movement has inspired more than 2 million pledges through ItCanWait.com, on Facebook, through text-to-pledge and tweet-to-pledge, and at events.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.