Polk Students Experience Dangers of Distracted Driving through Virtual Reality

Polk Pre-Collegiate Academy students got to experience firsthand how dangerous it is to take their eyes off the road and glance at a smartphone with AT&T’s Virtual Reality simulator.

On March 31, leaders from AT&T also asked the students to pledge to drive without distractions and to encourage their friends and family to keep their eyes on the road, not their smartphone. The presentation was held a day before the start of Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The Virtual Reality experience is part of the AT&T It Can Wait campaign, which urges drivers to drive without distractions. AT&T research shows that 7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving. People are doing much more than just texting from behind the wheel. They’re checking email, posting to social media, even snapping selfies.

AT&T research has shown:

• For 1- in 3 drivers, distracted driving is a habit.
• 7 -in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving.
• 62% keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving.
• Nearly 4-in-10 smartphone users tap into social media while driving.
• 22% who access social networks while driving cite addiction as a reason.

Drivers can take the pledge to drive without distractions here.