Putting the Brakes on Texting and Talking While Driving: Post-Summit Insights from Nationwide

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NEWS BACKGROUND:

The Distracted Driving Summit held this week in Washington by Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, emphasized the need for greater understanding about the dangers of distracted driving. The Summit amplified the focus on the issue of texting while driving and cemented the need for technological solutions to reduce distraction among drivers, noted Bill Windsor, Associate Vice President of Safety for Nationwide.

Additional thoughts from Bill include:

• Surprisingly, Summit experts were confident in the feasibility of enforcing driving while texting (DWT) laws, and enforcement was not considered to be as significant a barrier as it had been in the past.
• Addressing DWT, which was the overwhelming focus of the Summit, is a good step in tackling the broader issue of driving while distracted.
• Nationwide believes the solution to solving America’s driving while distracted problems involves a combination of technology, education and legislation.

Bill, joined by Nationwide Mutual Insurance, supports President Obama’s signing of the executive order banning federal employees from text-messaging while on government business, driving government vehicles or using government equipment. At present, 15 states have passed laws that either require the use of a hands-free device or ban the use of cell phones or other mobile devices while driving entirely. According to a Nationwide Insurance survey, eight out of ten Americans support some type of ban on cell phone use while driving.

WHO: Bill Windsor, Associate Vice President of Safety for Nationwide

Bill is an advocate for safety initiatives that help Americans prevent losses and protect what matters to them most including key issues such as drunk driving, underage drinking, teen driving, building codes and distracted driving. Bill works with a variety of safety organizations including the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, Lifesavers, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Highway Safety Coalition, Governor’s Highway Safety Association, and sits on the Board for the following organizations; MADD, Institute for Business and Home Safety, National Safety Council, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.

Bill is available to discuss the following:

• Outcome of the Summit
• What the proposed federal legislation will entail
• The greater dangers driving while distracted (DWD) presents than previously thought
• Nationwide’s survey results and change in public perception as DWD becomes more prevalent
• Technologies being developed to prevent DWD

TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW, PLEASE CONTACT
Natalie Ignatovicz				Charley Gillespie
Fleishman-Hillard for Nationwide				Nationwide Insurance
212-453-2449				614-249-5701 (work)
natalie.ignatovicz@fleishman.com				614-623-9673 (cell)
				GILLESC1@nationwide.com

About Nationwide

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

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