NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Allstate's
"Thumbs Up to X the TXT" pledge campaign joins Grammy-nominated and
American Idol winner Jordin Sparks
on her "Battlefield" tour presented by Mike & Ike this summer
to encourage teens and their families not to text while driving.
The first of the campaign's 29 tour stops is today, with the goal
of raising awareness about the dangers of texting while driving,
and asking teens and their families to publicly pledge to "X the
TXT" behind the wheel.
"The summer is one of the deadliest times of the year for young
drivers," says Sparks. "School's out and the desire to be in touch
with friends and family is even stronger. By pledging not to text
and drive we can save thousands of lives. Choosing to not pick up
the phone and keep your eyes on the road can be the difference
between life and death."
Concertgoers will have the opportunity to make the pledge not to
text and drive by adding their thumbprint – the symbol of their
pledge – to a traveling banner at each of Sparks' shows.
Participants will receive thumb bands they can wear as a reminder
of their commitment.
Allstate's X the TXT movement began last November with a 30-city
national tour of live pledge events, a Facebook virtual pledge
page, and a petition urging Congress to address the issue of
texting while driving. The campaign is part of Allstate's broader
efforts to make our roads safer, especially for young drivers.
Most recently, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congressional leaders joined
Allstate and Sparks in Washington,
DC to urge Americans to make the pledge not to text while
driving. To date, more than 80,000 people have made the pledge.
"Texting while driving is the equivalent of drinking four beers.
It is time to put an end to this deadly practice," said
Joan Walker, senior vice president
of corporate relations at Allstate. "By combining the power
of personal pledges with calls for strong distracted driving and
graduated drivers licensing laws, Allstate is working to reduce
teen deaths and make our roads safer for everyone."
Texting is one of the most dangerous distractions facing drivers
today, particularly among teens, of which car crashes are the
number one killer. According to a recent Allstate Foundation study,
49 percent of driving teens admit to being extremely distracted by
texting and instant messaging while driving. And, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports driver distraction
contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic
crashes.
Allstate hopes more people will join the cause in urging
Congress to create stronger laws, not just to ban texting while
driving, but to make young drivers safer drivers. One way to do
this is through the enactment of graduated driver licensing
guidelines that allow new drivers to gain valuable experience under
supervised and less risky conditions.
To take the pledge not to text and drive or for more information
about the tour, visit www.facebook.com/thumbsuppledge. A full
listing of tour dates and locations follows:
June 3: Sayreville,
N.J., Starland Ballroom
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June 4: Clifton Park,
N.Y., Northern Lights
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June 8: Greensburg,
Pa., Palace Theater
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June 10: New York,
N.Y., Nokia Theater
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June 11: Hampton,
N.H., HB Casino
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June 12: Hartford,
Conn., Webster Theater
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June 13: Boston,
Mass., House of Blues
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June 15: Cincinnati,
Ohio, 20th Century
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June 16: Detroit,
Ohio, Royal Oak
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June 17: Cleveland,
Ohio, House of Blues
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June 19: Norfolk,
Va., The Norva
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June 20: Charlotte,
N.C., Fillmore
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June 22: Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., Revolution
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June 23: Orlando,
Fla., House of Blues
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June 28: Houston,
Texas, House of Blues
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June 29: Dallas,
Texas, House of Blues
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July 1: Tempe, Ariz.,
Marquee
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July 2: Anaheim,
Calif., The Grove
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July 3: Reno, Nev.,
Knitting Factory
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July 5: Seattle,
Wash., The Showbox
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July 6: Portland,
Ore., Roseland Theater
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July 8: San Diego,
Calif., House of Blues
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July 9: Los Angeles,
Calif., Club Nokia
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July 10: San
Francisco, Calif., The Regency Ballroom
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July 12: Denver,
Colo., Ogden Theater
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July 14: Kansas City,
Mo., Beaumont Club
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July 16: Minneapolis,
Minn., First Ave
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July 17: Chicago,
Ill., House of Blues
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July 18:
Philadelphia, Pa., TLA
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About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the
"You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is
reinventing protection and retirement to help more than 17 million
households insure what they have today and better prepare for
tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home,
life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies,
independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial
representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and
1-800 Allstate®.
About Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks has been performing
from a young age and stands alone as the youngest contestant to
ever win "American Idol." She has since become a platinum and award
winning recording artist. Her self-titled debut album was
released in 2007 on 19 Recordings/Jive Records and went on to sell
over 1.6 million copies worldwide, producing three Top 5 hits that
have cumulatively sold almost 9 million downloads/ringtones. In
addition to winning an American Music Award she has received two
MTV Video Music Award nominations and a 2008 Grammy nomination.
Jordin released her sophomore album, Battlefield, and has
since toured extensively around the world with artists such as
Alicia Keys, The Jonas Brothers and
Britney Spears. Jordin also
recently announced she will make her Broadway debut in the 2008
Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights.
20-year-old Jordin Sparks will play
the lead in a limited 12-week engagement starting on August 19th through November 14th, 2010.
For more information about Jordin
Sparks, visit www.sparkstown.com.
SOURCE Allstate