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PHOENIX
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As drivers take to Arizona’s highways over the holidays, Arizona Department of
Transportation rest area Safe Phone Zones
sponsored by GEICO encourage motorists to pull off the road before using smartphones
for talking, texting and more.
“Even a moment’s distraction can
be deadly,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We are at our best as drivers
when we are focused on the road, rested and sober. Using Safe Phone Zones at rest areas allows drivers to stay connected in
a safe way.”
Taking
your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off the task of driving is
a hazard, regardless of the reason for doing so. Texting while driving is an
especially great concern because it distracts visually, manually and
cognitively. During the 5 seconds a person can look away from the road to send
or receive a text, a car going 55 mph can travel the length of a football
field.
The ADOT partnership began in
2014, with GEICO sponsoring Safe Phone
Zones at 14 rest areas to encourage drivers to safely and conveniently use
their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and
accessing mobile apps. Signs bearing the GEICO logo alert motorists to Safe Phone Zones at each rest area.
GEICO has similar partnerships with Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New
York, Virginia and Texas.
More facts and tips on ways to avoid
distracted driving can be found at SafePhoneZone.com as well as at Geico.com/More.
For more information about the Safe Phone Zones partnership, visit azdot.gov/SafePhoneZone.
To join the conversation on social media, use
#GEICOSafePhoneZone.
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