L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa Urges Motorists to Take the Pledge to Slow Down This Halloween

Autobytel Inc.'s national safe driving campaign Take the Pledge to Slow Down and The Los Angeles Department of Transportation's Watch the Road program announced their partnership today to create safer streets this Halloween, one of the deadliest nights of the year for pedestrians(1).

Take the Pledge asks citizens to "drive like they would in their own neighborhood," especially during the month of October, which is national Take the Pledge Month. Motorists "Take the Pledge" by logging on to www.autobytel.com and making a signed commitment to drive with greater caution and care, especially on urban residential streets.

In an effort to encourage safer road conditions, L.A. City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking motorists to Take the Pledge to Slow Down before Halloween. "Too many urban neighborhood streets have become shortcuts for commuters looking to avoid jammed freeways and larger thoroughfares," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "During this Halloween season, I urge drivers to go to Autobytel.com and 'Take the Pledge to Slow Down' -- and make a personal commitment to drive safely where families live and their children and pets play." Mayor Villaraigosa's full letter of support can be viewed online at http://www.autobytel.com/content/research/index.cfm?id=4;ABTL&action= showArticle&aid=138211 (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

L.A. Department of Transportation "Watch the Road" Promotes Safety Awareness

"Watch the Road," a safety awareness program designed to appeal to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, combines a mass marketing educational campaign with a strong grassroots outreach. According to The L.A. Department of Transportation General Manager Frances Banerjee, "Halloween is a time for family fun, trick-or-treating, and visiting special Halloween events and attractions. But unfortunately, Halloween is very dangerous for children who are the most vulnerable and who suffer the most severe injuries as pedestrians. In our commitment to saving lives, we're excited about working with Autobytel's Take the Pledge, and urging drivers to slow down and drive with added care in our urban family communities this Halloween."

To Take the Pledge online and receive a free reflective trick-or-treat bag, just log onto Autobytel.com and click on the "Take the Pledge to Slow Down" button. To get more information about The Los Angeles Department of Transportation's "Watch the Road" Program, log onto http://www.watchtheroad.org.

About Take the Pledge to Slow Down

Founded to combat speeding on neighborhood streets, Take the Pledge to Slow Down is a grassroots movement that depends on the power of individual activists across the country -- coupled with the power of the Internet -- to encourage drivers to take personal responsibility for their driving. Autobytel, the official sponsor of "Take the Pledge" offers a comprehensive area on its consumer websites (www.autobytel.com, www.autoweb.com and www.carsmart.com), where concerned citizens can "Take the Pledge," access safe driving tips, find information and links, download "Take the Pledge" materials -- and join Autobytel's fight for safer neighborhood streets and save lives. "Take the Pledge to Slow Down" has been supported by safety advocates and government bodies nationwide, including M.A.D.D. (Mother's Against Drunk Driving), Put the Brakes on Fatalities, the Charlotte, NC Police Department, the Los Angeles and Washington D.C. City Councils and the California Governor's office.

(1) According to the NHTSA.

For more information, or to speak with an Autobytel "Take the Pledge to Slow Down" representative, please contact: Joe Foster, (323) 960-1360 ext. 13, joe@rbicom.com or Miri Jedeikin, (323) 960-1360 ext. 14, miri@rbicom.com.