Safe Driving Public Service Announcements Feature 2004 NASCAR Rookie of the Year Kasey Kahne

EVERETT, Wash.--Dec. 2, 20047, 2004--The Washington State Patrol (WSP) and Nextel Communications Inc. , the title sponsor of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series(TM), today announced a statewide campaign to promote safe driving, including the dangers of drinking and driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving, as well as the importance of wearing seatbelts. Central to the campaign are television commercials, which feature Washington native Kasey Kahne, NASCAR's Rookie of the Year for 2004. WSP and Nextel will be unveiling the commercials today at the Washington Motorsports Racing Celebration of Champions in Everett, Wash.

"Education, whether it's through commercials or speaking to community groups, is just another way we can keep the public informed about our efforts in public safety," said Trooper Lance Ramsay, Washington State Patrol.

The Washington Motorsports Racing Celebration of Champions will take place today from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Everett Events Center at 2000 Hewitt Ave. in downtown Everett. In addition to unveiling the commercials, the WSP and Nextel will be handing out safe driving brochures and posters to attendees.

"Nextel strongly believes that attentive driving should always be a priority," stated Jeff Brennan, Nextel's area vice president for the Pacific Northwest. "This campaign is a great opportunity for us to partner with the State Patrol and Kasey to remind our community members to always focus on safe driving. We are pleased that we can help spread the message in a compelling way to reduce accidents and save lives."

In addition to this campaign in Washington State, Nextel Communications is developing a national educational program targeting high school driver education students. The Focus on Driving program, scheduled to begin a market-by-market launch in 2005, will seek to reach drivers at the earliest possible learning stage, to promote a lifetime of safe driving habits.

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