AT&T has released a documentary portraying the dangers of texting-and-driving to raise awareness of its devastating consequences.
The 11-minute film, called "The Last Text," features stories about people whose lives have been tragically changed by texting and driving, such as the parents of Mariah West, a teenager who was killed in May 2009 after sending a text to a friend.
The documentary is a part of AT&T’s "It Can Wait" campaign released in March 2010 to educate consumers about the dangers of texting while driving. It is being made available to schools, safety organizations and government agencies and is also available via the company's YouTube channel. The documentary has been viewed nearly 85,000 since its release yesterday (Dec. 27).
A recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that about 26 percent of teens have texted while on the road, and 43 percent have made calls while driving. This growing epidemic has been responsible for many accidents: in fact, 5,500 people were killed last year due to " distracted driving " – most of which were under the age of 20, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is not the first time a phone company has raised awareness about the topic. Sprint partnered with The Oprah Winfrey Show in May, asking many to pledge not to text and drive.
AT&T is also encouraging people to make the pledge via its Facebook page.
