American Idol's Jordin Sparks Wants to X the TXT

The goal is to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving, and asking teens and their families to publicly pledge to "X the TXT" behind the wheel.
"The summer is one of the deadliest times of the year for young drivers," says Sparks. "School's out and the desire to be in touch with friends and family is even stronger. By pledging not to text and drive we can save thousands of lives. Choosing to not pick up the phone and keep your eyes on the road can be the difference between life and death."

Concertgoers will have the opportunity to make the pledge not to text and drive by adding their thumbprint � the symbol of their pledge � to a traveling banner at each of Sparks' shows. Participants will receive thumb bands they can wear as a reminder of their commitment.

Allstate's X the TXT movement began last November with a 30-city national tour of live pledge events, a Facebook virtual pledge page, and a petition urging Congress to address the issue of texting while driving. The campaign is part of Allstate's broader efforts to make our roads safer, especially for young drivers.

Most recently, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congressional leaders joined Allstate and Sparks in Washington, DC to urge Americans to make the pledge not to text while driving. To date, more than 80,000 people have made the pledge.

"Texting while driving is the equivalent of drinking four beers. It is time to put an end to this deadly practice," said Joan Walker, senior vice president of corporate relations at Allstate. "By combining the power of personal pledges with calls for strong distracted driving and graduated drivers licensing laws, Allstate is working to reduce teen deaths and make our roads safer for everyone."

Texting is one of the most dangerous distractions facing drivers today, particularly among teens, of which car crashes are the number one killer. According to a recent Allstate Foundation study, 49 percent of driving teens admit to being extremely distracted by texting and instant messaging while driving. And, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports driver distraction contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.

Allstate hopes more people will join the cause in urging Congress to create stronger laws, not just to ban texting while driving, but to make young drivers safer drivers. One way to do this is through the enactment of graduated driver licensing guidelines that allow new drivers to gain valuable experience under supervised and less risky conditions.

To take the pledge not to text and drive or for more information about the tour, visit www.facebook.com/thumbsuppledge. A full listing of tour dates and locations follows: