BUFFALO, N.Y.-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. today said its distracted-driving program reached 2.2 million more students this year.
Cingular said the 7.8 million students from 18,500 high schools and professional driving schools in all 50 states are now using the program. About 5.6 million students were taught the program in 2003.
The No. 2 mobile-phone carrier, which is seeking government approval to acquire No. 3 AT&T Wireless Services Inc. for $41 billion, created the cell-phone driver safety program in 2002.
“2003 was a banner year for ‘Be Sensible: Don’t Drive Yourself to Distraction,'” said Robert Holliday, vice president and general manager of Cingular Wireless in upstate New York. “Cingular believes that education is the key to preventing distracted driving, and we’re pleased by the program’s growth in so far this year. ‘Be Sensible’ reinforces our commitment to teens and is consistent with our industry-leading position that new or novice drivers should not use the phone while driving.”
Cingular said a feedback survey of driver-education teachers who have used the program found that 99 percent would use the program again, and 88 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the students learned how to manage or eliminate driving distractions.
The mobile-phone industry, with the exception of No. 1 Verizon Wireless, support education over laws requiring drivers to use hands-free devices for mobile-phone calls while behind the wheel. The National Highway Safety Administration and some researchers say hands-free gadgets do not reduce the risk of accidents by drivers having phone conversations on the road.
