.jpg)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
Washington, D.C. —Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) commended AT&T for its leadership on a critical issue that acutely affects the Latino community: texting and driving. Through a monetary pledge to the “It Can Wait Campaign,” and the announcement of their “No text on Board - Pledge Day,” AT&T will help draw awareness to texting and driving, particularly with regard to teen drivers.
“With over 100,000 crashes caused by texting each year, this issue has reached alarming proportions in our country and in our community,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Hispanic teens are far more likely to text while driving, and we hope that AT&T’s renewed focus on the issue will help save lives.”
According to a recent study undertaken by AT&T on texting behavior among teen drivers, 54% of Hispanic teens admitted to texting while driving, compared to 41% of Whites and 42% of Black teenagers. Seventy percent of Hispanic teens admitted to texting while stopped at a light, compared to 58% of Whites and 61% of Black teenagers. Eighty-five percent of Hispanic teens reported that their parents text “all the time.” In addition, only 70% of Hispanic teens say they have a rule in their house against texting while driving, compared to 82% of Whites and 73% of Blacks.
NCLR calls on the Latino community to sign the pledge and join the movement at www.itcanwait.com.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
###