Nearly 300 teenagers from Tampa Bay Technical High School made the pledge not to text and drive this morning. Students left their thumb print on a 16 foot banner traveling across the country on a 30 city tour. The event is part of X the TXT, Allstate’s public awareness campaign which is aimed at minimizing one of the most dangerous distractions facing teens today, texting.
Students received a thumb band imprinted with TXTNG KILLS as a reminder of their thumbs up pledge – thumbs off the phone and on the wheel while driving.
Car crashes are the number one killer of teens claiming nearly 5,000 young lives each and every year and the holidays are one of the deadliest times of the year for teen drivers. Nearly 77% of those accidents are due to driver error and speeding with distractions playing a significant role in the car. Eliminating distractions can help save teen lives.
Parents are encourage to set a good example in the car and to engage in safe driving conversations with their teens, which could help save their lives as well as the lives of others on the road.
Allstate’s X the TXT tour kicked off November 17th in New York with 19 year old American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and her mom Jodi making the pledge not to text and drive and will conclude January 1 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
The pledge not to text and drive this holiday season can be taken online by visiting http://www.facebook.com/thumbsuppledge. For every virtual pledge, Allstate will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the National Organizations for Youth Safety, a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies focused on youth safety and health.