Resolution 150713

..Title Declaring September 19th It Can Wait Day in Philadelphia to bring attention to the dangers of distracted driving and the use of smartphones while behind the wheel and requesting everyone to take the It Can Wait Pledge. ..Body WHEREAS, Philadelphia holds the health and safety of its citizens as a paramount concern; and WHEREAS, Smartphone driving distractions have grown beyond texting to include social media applications, web surfing, selfies, video chatting as well as other distractions; and WHEREAS, The It Can Wait program and pledge launched over 5 years ago by AT&T, brought to our attention the dangers of distracted driving and gave us the slogan that "no text is worth a life"; and WHEREAS, 7-in-10 people still engage in smartphone activities while driving and sixty-two percent keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving; and WHEREAS, As of October 2014, sixty-four percent of American adults own a smartphone and an even greater eighty-five percent of young adults (aged 18-29) are smartphone owners according to the Pew Research Center; and WHEREAS, Forty-nine percent of commuters and forty-three percent of teens admit to texting and driving; and WHEREAS, The National Safety Council reports that texting while driving is a factor in more than 200,000 vehicle crashes each year, often causing injuries and deaths; and WHEREAS, Twenty-two percent of people who access social networks while driving cite smartphone addiction as a reason; and WHEREAS, The "no text is worth a life" slogan has evolved into "no text, search, post, view or email is worth a life;" now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby declare September 19th to be It Can Wait Pledge Day in the City of Philadelphia. ..End