UM Students, Employees Challenged to End Distracted Driving

AT&T will set up a virtual reality simulator at the Ole Miss Student Union to demonstrate the dangers of texting while driving.

AT&T has challenged theUniversity of Mississippi to compete against Mississippi State in the It Can Wait Virtual Reality Egg Bowl Online Pledge Competition, an effort to combat distracted driving.

On Monday (Nov. 7), AT&T will bring a virtual reality simulator to the Ole Miss Student Union. Students, faculty and staff are invited to take the wheel of the 360-degree experience, which demonstrates the dangers of cellphone-distracted driving, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Associated Student Body and Student Activities Association encourage the Ole Miss community to take the pledge by texting ICWOleMiss to 50555. The university that collects the most pledges by Friday (Nov. 11) will be declared the ICW Virtual Reality Egg Bowl winner.

“The Egg Bowl is always an exciting and hard-fought competition, and we expect the It Can Wait pledge challenge to be just as hard-fought, with safety on the line,” said Mayo Flynt, AT&T Mississippi president. “Only one team will win the football game, but many more students and fans across our state will win much more by pledging to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phone.”

The ICW campaign, launched in 2010, has inspired more than 10 million people to keep their eyes on the road. This year, AT&T has taken the simulator to 299 cities across the country.

One of every 10 motor vehicle crash-related deaths in the state is caused by distracted driving, according to data from the Center for Mississippi Health Policy. The Mississippi Legislature passed a ban on texting while driving that took effect in July 2015, yet 7 out of 10 drivers nationally admit to texting and driving, AT&T figures show.

“With the world today being connected electronically, multitasking is commonplace and communication is instant,” said Tim Potts, UM police chief. “People feel compelled to stay connected at all times and drivers feel overly confident in their ability to ‘safely’ text and use their cell phones while driving.

“Many drivers believe that they can practice unsafe driving habits such as driving with their knees, glancing up and down from their phone, or snapchatting while driving, but these drivers often don’t realize the dangers they are creating. Every driver needs to remember that all distracted driving is dangerous for every driver, every time. That next call or text can wait.”

AT&T volunteers will be present throughout the event, with T-shirt giveaways for those who take the pledge. To take the pledge online, visit https://www.itcanwait.com/all.

Courtesy of Christina Steube and the Ole Miss News Desk