21st Century Insurance and Arizona DPS Form Partnership To Promote Automobile Safety

Billboard Campaign to Remind Arizona Motorists Of Dangers of Inattentive Driving

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., June 17 -- With the summer driving season now underway, 21st Century Insurance and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) have partnered to release a series of billboards to promote safe driving. These billboards, which are up in several locations around Phoenix, encourage people to "Just Drive" and avoid common distractions such as reading, shaving or using portable electronic devices while driving. Each board is comprised of a cartoon driver with headlines that read, "World's Scariest Library," "World's Deadliest Office," and "World's Most Frightening Shaving Mirror."

These safety billboards are part of an ongoing effort by 21st Century and state law enforcement agencies to promote safe driving. Last summer, 21st Century, the California Highway Patrol and Actor/Icon Erik Estrada launched a campaign to promote child seat safety program with a series of community events, bilingual safety guides and outdoor advertising. The success of the child safety seat program led to the development of the "Just Drive" campaign and its focus on broader safety issues in California and Arizona.

"As a leading auto insurer, safety is our number one concern," said Ed Combs, Senior Vice President of Marketing. "And while these billboards deliver a safety message in a light-hearted way, they remind us all that distracted driving is no laughing matter."

As reported by the Associated Press, a recent Mason-Dixon poll surveyed national attitudes on driving behavior. Among the poll's findings, 59% of drivers admitted to eating while driving, 37% acknowledged using a cell phone while driving, while 14% acknowledged reading while driving.

According to the DPS, the dangers cited in the Mason-Dixon survey are commonplace on Arizona's roads. DPS spokesman Steve Volden said, "The vast majority of Arizona's accidents are in some way related to driver distractions." Volden added, "Every day, DPS officers arrive at the scene of accidents caused by distracted driving, which is why we're reminding people to avoid these pitfalls and to 'Just Drive.'"

Electronic copies of all billboards are available upon request.