Allstate's "Thumbs Up for the Safest Holiday Ever" Campaign

The Allstate Foundation's Safe Teen Driving Initiative

Climbing behind the wheel means freedom and independence for teenagers. Kids everywhere wait impatiently for the day they hit that special age and their parents finally hand them the keys to the family car. But studies by The Allstate Foundation have found that teens are particularly susceptible to dangerous distractions, highlighting the need for parents to sit down early on with their teens to discuss safe driving.

These days, more and more teenagers own up to using their cell phones to text while driving. According to The Allstate Foundation, two thirds of teens admit to texting and instant messaging behind the wheel! Yet nearly 81% of teens rate parents as their number one driving influencers. Knowing this, how can we as Moms not take steps to ensure we set a good example and make safe driving a priority? Especially when recent research by Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute reveals that texting while driving can increase the risk of an accident by 23 times.

Allstate's "X the TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever" campaign challenges teens and parents alike to make the pledge not text and drive. By joining the cause at  www.causes.com/thumbsup, you're pledging to put your cell phone down behind the wheel. For each person who takes the pledge, Allstate will donate $1 to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) – a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that serve youth and focus on youth safety and health – for safe teen driving programs.

As part of the campaign, a 30-city "X the TXT," tour kicks off this holiday season during which teens and their families can add their thumbprints to a pledge banner as a public commitment not to text and drive. Click here www.Allstate.com/teen to go to Allstate's  website to download the Allstate Family Texting Pledge and start the conversation about responsible driving with your family.

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. It is in reference as an important public service message*.