We’ve all done it – read or sent a text while driving. But it’s one of the most dangerous things drivers can do. Sprint (NYSE: S) is doing its part to promote awareness in the local Miami community and to encourage cell phone users to drive safe with “The Last Emoji,” a sculpture made from a crashed junkyard car.
“According to a March 2016 report from the CDC, eight people are killed and 1,161 injured EVERY DAY in the U.S. due to distracted driving”
“The Last Emoji,” a striking visual statement about the consequences of texting and driving, was unveiled in downtown Miami last week at 1200 Brickell Avenue, 33131. Continuing the conversation following Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, its purpose is to get Floridians to share and live by the “DN’T TXT & DRIVE” message by encouraging them to post a picture or selfie with the sculpture using the hashtag #SprintDriveSafe. The hashtag is already starting to buzz in Sprint’s English and Spanish social channels.
“According to a March 2016 report from the CDC, eight people are killed and 1,161 injured EVERY DAY in the U.S. due to distracted driving,” said Claudio Hidalgo, Sprint Region President for Florida, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. “By placing a sculpture that incorporates a powerful and significant message using the new language of mobile such as an emoji, we hope to remind our community that when using their phones while driving they are not only risking their own lives but the lives of others. No text is that urgent.”
In Florida, where defensive driving is practically a requirement, there were more than 45,000 crashes in 2015 from distracted drivers, 200 of them resulting in fatalities and over 39,000 in injuries, according to the Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles Department. Florida is also one of the only states that doesn’t list texting while driving as a primary offense, so Magnacom Worldwide secured a prime location in downtown Miami to reach Miami commuters.
Sprint customers can also commit to safe driving by downloading the company’s free “Drive First” application, which automatically locks the phone when the vehicle reaches 10mph. The app sends calls to voicemail as well as silences email and text alerts delivering text replies to anyone trying to make contact and informing them that the driver is on the road and driving safely.