CINGULAR AND
AVIS PUT MOTORISTS ON ROAD TO WIRELESS SAFETY Travel
Expert Diana Nyad Drives Wireless Safety Promotion
Wireless safety is an everyday concern for motorists.
A survey from Cingular Wireless and Avis Rent A Car System, Inc. shines its headlights
on the need for wireless safety when traveling out of town, especially for people
traveling in unfamiliar vehicles and in unfamiliar places. According to a Cingular
and Avis sponsored 2003 Braun Research survey of American car renters, more than
93 percent of people who own cell phones take them on trips; however, only 48
percent of those surveyed own a hands-free device, and just 36 percent take it
with them when they travel. Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed do not check
the local laws on wireless phone use while driving.
To
help address these safety concerns and reduce the level of distractions experienced
by drivers, Cingular and Avis are launching a promotion that helps drivers Be
Sensible and travel more safely in 2004. Now through April 7, consumers who review
the Cingular/Avis wireless safety tips and pledge to Be Sensible will receive
a free ear bud while supplies last, plus a coupon for one free day of Avis Assist
Navigation Global Positioning System (GPS). Customers can connect the free ear
bud to their cell phone, allowing them to instantly talk - hands free. Cingular
provides customers with a variety of ear buds to ensure comfort and compatibility
with most current handsets available today.
The promotion will be fielded
at Avis counters in 28 of the nation's busiest airports, including New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Atlanta, San
Francisco and Boston. Consumers who take the safety pledge at the counter will
instantly receive the free ear bud and Avis Assist coupon. Consumers can also
log onto www.avis.com/besensible
and take the safety pledge online; the free ear bud and coupon will be mailed
to online participants. Travel
expert Diana Nyad, currently hosts a weekly national radio show called "The
Savvy Traveler" and contributes a weekly column on National Public Radio's
"Morning Edition." Nyad has teamed up with Cingular and Avis to disseminate
the following Be Sensible wireless safety tips: ·
Stay with us for a while
The Avis lot offers a quiet retreat to familiarize yourself
with car controls, configure your wireless phone and hands-free
device and check voice mail.
·
There's no such thing as a free ride
Have
your passenger take calls, read maps and complement your
driving skills.
·
Keep your eyes on the prize
Avoid taking notes or looking
for phone numbers while driving. Use Voice Connect where available
for hands-fee dialing.
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