AT&T Hosts Encinitas Event Against Distracted Driving on Nov. 6

Research shows that 7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving. These days, people are doing much more than just texting—they’re checking email, posting to social media, and even snapping selfies. AT&T’s national It Can Wait campaign is reminding people of the dangers of distracted driving through virtual reality and is inviting locals to visit AT&T’s Encinitas store this Friday, Nov. 6, between noon and 4 p.m. to experience firsthand how refraining from smartphone use while driving can make our roads safer—and learn about tools to curb the habit.

Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar and local officials will join AT&T help spread the message. The team will showcase the new It Can Wait simulator, which provides a realistic look at the dangers of distracted driving. Parents will receive assistance with setting up the AT&T DriveMode app, a free app that can be enabled to silence incoming text message alerts, and help avoid distractions allowing everyone to stay focused while driving. When enabled, the app turns on automatically when you’re driving 15 MPH or more and turns off shortly after you stop. Parents with young drivers can receive a text message alerting them if the app is turned off.

The Encinitas event is one of four local events held in AT&T stores this October/November, and is part of AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign. The campaign started by focusing on not texting and driving and has since expanded its focus to the broader dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel. Since its launch in 2010, it has helped drive awareness of the dangers of texting while driving to about 90 percent for all audiences surveyed, inspired more than 7 million pledges not to text and drive and worked with departments of transportation on research that suggests a correlation between It Can Wait campaign activities and a reduction in crashes.

The event will be held noon until 4 p.m. at 1560 Leucadia Blvd., Encinitas, CA 92024. And don’t forget to take the pledge on www.ItCanWait.com.