Neighbor News
AT&T Brings Virtual Reality Simulator to Long Beach Boardwalk
See the dangers of smartphone distracted driving
New research shows that 7-in-10 people engage in smartphone activities while driving.1 It’s no longer safe to assume that people are just texting from behind the wheel. To drive home these new findings, and the message “It Can (All) Wait,” AT&T has teamed up with the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Police Department to bring the AT&T nationally touring virtual reality simulator to the iconic Long Beach boardwalk for two days, allowing the public to experience firsthand how dangerous it can be when you take your eyes off the road and direct them onto your phone.
Behind the wheel, everything can change in the blink of an eye. A post, a selfie, a text, a scroll, an email—one look is all it takes. This new simulation shows the real consequences of looking at your phone while driving.
Samsung, Bose and Google are supporting the immersive tour experience, which is delivered through Samsung Gear VR, with premium sound from Bose QuietComfort® 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones.
Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Google Cardboard will make it possible for people to use their own smartphones to see the 3D virtual reality program. To learn more about how you can experience this program at home, visit www.ItCanWait.com/VR.
The experience is part of AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign, which urges drivers to visit www.ItCanWait.com, where they can pledge to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phone, and share their pledge with others via Twitter (#ItCanWait) and Facebook.What started as a campaign focused on not texting and driving has now expanded its focus to the broader dangers of smartphone use behind the wheel. Since its launch in 2010, the campaign has:
Find out what's happening in Long Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Helped drive awareness of the dangers of texting while driving to about 90% for all audiences surveyed.
- Inspired more than 6.5 million pledges not to text and drive.
- Worked with departments of transportation in various states on research that suggests a correlation between It Can Wait campaign activities and a reduction in crashes.
