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National Wireless Safety Week 2001 and VITA Wireless
Samaritan Awards
...Wireless Phones & Driving Safely
Posted by WDN, May 18, 2001
CTIA today announce this year's National
Wireless Safety Week, May 21st through May 27th
Today in Washington D.C., The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association
(CTIA) and its member companies announced this year's National
Wireless Safety Week, May 21st through May 27th - an industry-wide effort
reminding all wireless telephone users to make safety their first priority.
Wireless Safety Week occurs each year leading into Memorial Day weekend, the
start of the summer travel season, a time when thinking about safety on the
roads and highways is a top priority.
This year National Wireless Safety Week will profile the "Faces of Safety."
Monday, May 21st - The 52 Faces of Safety, CTIA will nationally announce the
2001 VITA ("life") Wireless Samaritan Award winners.
Tuesday, May 22nd - The Face of Joseph Egan, Crime Prevention Day - Joe
Egan, armed with his weapon against crime, his wireless phone, helped save a
man's life after he was shot during a robbery.
Wednesday, May 23rd - The Face of Five-Year-Old Brandon Pope, Personal
Protection Day - Brandon Pope's quick thinking and a wireless phone saved
his mother's life, a victim of domestic violence who suffered seizures from
the physical effects of the abuse.
Thursday, May 24th - The Faces of Rebecca and George Garton, Driver Safety
Day - Rebecca and George Garton witnessed the driver of a truck hit a school
bus full of children and then flee the scene. Thanks to the Garton's and
their wireless phone, the hit-and-run driver was identified and apprehended.
Friday, May 25th - The Face of Steven Wayne Elmore, Impaired Driver
Prevention Day - After realizing he was driving behind a drunk driver,
Steven with the aid of his wireless phone dialed 911 and possibly prevented
the injury or death of countless individuals.
Saturday, May 26th - The Face of Kay Brooks, Disaster Relief Day - When ice
storms hit in December of 2000, Kay Brooks, on duty for the American Red
Cross, assisted by her wireless phone, set up shelters and coordinated the
distribution of warm meals to people who otherwise may have been without
food.
Sunday, May 27th - The Face of Erica Richardson, School Safety Day - After
noticing a strong, gaseous odor in her school, Assistant Principal Erica
Richardson, and her fellow teachers used their wireless phones to evacuate
the building, summon assistance and inform parents that their children were
safe.
"The wireless telephone industry is committed to making safety everybody's
most important call. As an industry, we take the issue of safe driving very
seriously and actively promote the safe use of our products. Wireless Safety
Week is just one of the many ways the wireless industry reinforces our
message to drivers that when behind the wheel of a vehicle safety should be
their first, second and third responsibility - no matter what," said Tom
Wheeler, President and CEO of CTIA.
Wheeler added, "Wireless phones when used appropriately are the greatest
safety tools since the creation of 911. Everyday, more than 140,000
emergency service calls are made from wireless phones. That's close to 100
calls per minute! Wireless phones have helped reduce response times in
emergency situations and have assisted in the apprehension of drunk,
impaired and aggressive drivers."
With Memorial Day weekend less than two weeks away, the wireless industry
reminds drivers that if they decide to use their phone while driving, to
first ask themselves, "Is this the right time to make a call?" "Will this
call distract me from my first responsibility to drive safely?" If they
decide to call, CTIA encourages individuals to follow some basic dos and
don'ts:
* Let the person you are talking with know you're driving.
* Keep the call short.
* Use a hands free device and speed dial to place calls.
* Never take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.
* Never use your phone in heavy traffic or hazardous
conditions.
CTIA also reminds drivers that state laws prohibit distracted driving.
**The CTIA VITA Wireless Samaritan Awards, honor individuals who with the
aid of a wireless phone have helped to save a life, stop a crime and/or give
heroic support during an emergency situation. CTIA annually honors
recipients from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
These winners' actions exemplify the importance of putting safety first, as
well as the important role individuals using their wireless phones play in
emergency situations.
The CTIA Wireless Foundation will honor this year's winners at the 2001
Achievement Awards Dinner on June 5th at the National Building Museum in
Washington, D.C. VITA award winners were selected by a national panel of
judges comprised of law enforcement and emergency response professionals.
CTIA is the international association for the wireless telecommunications
industry, representing all elements of wireless communications. The CTIA
Wireless Foundation supports programs that address some of our nation's
greatest challenges through creative applications
of wireless technology.
Visitors to CTIA's Wireless Phones & Driving Safely webpage at http://www.DriveResponsibly.org will find the following material:
- Drive Responsibly Brochures
- CTIA's Position on Reinforcing the Responsible Use of Wireless Phones While Driving
- Support For the Responsible Use of Wireless Phones While Driving
- Conclusions & Recommendations of Major Research Studies
- Industry Efforts on Responsible Driver Program
- CTIA's 2001 Responsible Driver Media Effort
- Consumer Information on the Responsible Use of Wireless Phones
- Wireless Phones & Highway Safety Fast Facts & FAQ's
- Legislative Updates on Wireless Phones and Highway Safety
- numerous other realted publications
Does your company have a solution, news, event, or scoop that WDN should know about?
Send details to editors@wirelessdevnet.com
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