AAA HELPS EDUCATE THE PUBLIC TO STOP TEXTING BEHIND THE WHEEL

March 9, 2012—AAA East Central is calling on the public to comply with the new Pennsylvania law to ban texting behind the wheel. As part of its campaign to support the new law and to educate motorists, the message, “DNT TXT N DRV—It’s the Law,” will be advertised on billboards locally and across Pennsylvania. 
The 60 billboards will appear beginning the week of March 12 and run for at least four weeks. The new law went into effect this week (March 8, 2012).
“Educating the public about the new law to ban texting while driving will help lead to greater compliance,” said Brian Newbacher, director of public affairs for AAA East Central. “There is remarkable public support for the new law and AAA is encouraging motorists to comply with it to save lives.” 
In a recent survey of AAA members, 95 percent supported a law against texting while driving. A growing body of research confirms that taking your hands off the wheel, eyes off the road and mind off driving radically increases your chances of causing a crash. The average time spent looking away from the road while writing and sending a text is 4.6 seconds. This amount of time with eyes off the road clearly distinguishes texting as the most dangerous distraction. 
Space for approximately 60 billboards is being donated as a public service by Lamar Advertising in Pittsburgh and other locations around the state and by Clear Channel Outdoor in Philadelphia.
Currently 35 states and the District of Columbia have laws that address text messaging by all drivers. For more information go to www.AAA.com/NoText.
AAA East Central is a not-for-profit organization with 80 local offices in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and New York, servicing 2.6 million members.