It contributes to more than 200,000 deaths a year, and drivers do it everyday: texting and driving.
On a brisk, Wednesday morning, seven University of Tennessee students gathered around the Rock at 7:30 a.m. to paint a message for the Knoxville community: it can wait.
“A lot of times, just as college students and everyone in general these days, sometimes we’re a little too attached to our cell phones,” said Kelsey Keny, SGA president and senior in journalism and electronic media. “We are too caught up in the conversations we’re having that, maybe, when it’s time to get in the car and go somewhere, we don’t realize its time to pause and just say ‘it can wait.'”
Last week, AT&T paired with UT SGA to promote the “It Can Wait” national texting and driving campaign, which encourages drivers to refrain from the distraction while behind the wheel. Alan Hill, the AT&T Tennessee regional director contacted SGA about painting the Rock to advertise the It Can Wait pledge which asks people to put down their phones and focus on the road.
“It’s important to not be distracted when you’re in the car, therefore you shouldn’t text and drive,” Hill said. “Put the phone down, don’t do that in the car … Literally, not texting and driving can save lives.”
Wednesday, the It Can Wait website reported 5,233,639 pledges since its start five years ago. Having previously concentrated efforts at high schools across Tennessee, AT&T is now reaching out to colleges and universities to use social media to spread the message.
After promoting #X as a national symbol for paused conversation, AT&T has tailored a message specifically for UT’s campus: #ICWVOLS: It Can Wait Vols.
“You can come up with any hashtag imaginable,” Hill said. “So, we’ve done these hashtags across the state of Tennessee this week so different colleges and universities can have to see their own campus get involved personally to try to see how the students staff and faculty, alumni too, come and take the pledge not to text and drive and make Tennessee really a safer place.”
When Hill first contacted SGA, Keny said it was an offer they couldn’t ignore.
“It’s part of a national awareness campaign to not text and drive, and we certainly wouldn’t want UT to not be a part of that message,” Keny said. “We will do anything we can to get behind it, whether its paint the Rock at 8 a.m. one morning, or we’ll put it on social media, all to spread awareness of the pledge they have going online.
“It’s a simple pledge — I will not text and drive. It’s a simple pledge that can go a long way.”
Painted clearly on the Rock, students can text ICWVOLS to 464329 to take the pledge or visit itcanwait.com. For Blake Roller, senior in political science and SGA senate chair, the Rock was the obvious choice when wanting to send a message to the entire campus.
“The rock is the icon of student communication,” Roller said. “So, us putting something on the rock is going to draw a lot of attention, not only to the students but to the public who drives through Volunteer Boulevard. Hopefully, it will get the message across and they will participate in the pledge.”
