Oprah Winfrey Asks Guests and Viewers to Sign No Phone Zone Pledge

Oprah Winfrey has been promoting the cause of public safety by asking guests and viewers to sign a pledge not to use the cell phone while driving. The No Phone Zone Pledge is a promise to either use a hands free device while talking on the phone, to not read or send text messages while driving and/or to not use the cell phone at all while while driving.

Using the cell phone to talk or text is a dangerous practice because it takes attention away from driving. Inattentive driving causes drivers to make potentially fatal mistakes. Accidents can and do happen as a result of inattentive driving caused by using the cell phone.

In order to drive the point home, Oprah has been interviewing people who have lost loved ones as a result of motor vehicle accidents caused by texting and driving. It becomes poignant when people admit t that a fatality was caused because someone was reading or sending a text message while driving. Often the text message that caused the traffic fatality was insignificant.

People have become so used to being in touch at will that they forget that they do not have to respond the the phone just because the ringtone sounds off. Voice mail can take the message and can be returned at your convenience. Make the phone a tool that serves you and not something that you serve.

Oprah has been talking about the No Phone Zone Pledge for several weeks now. When she first introduced the campaign she admitted that she was unaware that her staffers would always answer calls from her production company, Harpo Studios, even when they were driving. When she became aware of this she made it clear that she did not expect staffers to answer the phone when they were driving.

A number of organizations joined with Oprah to campaign against using a cell phone while driving. The No Phone Zone coalition includes law enforcement agencies, highway safety offices, traffic safety organization and transportation agencies at the state and federal level.

On Friday, April 30, 2010, Oprah and a national and grassroots coalition including traffic safety organizations, law enforcement agencies, federal and state transportation and highway safety offices, advocacy groups joined to promote the first every National No Phone Zone Day. The number on message of the campaign is 'Put down the phone when you are behind the wheel!

National No Phone Zone Day was marked with a special live episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show on April 30, 2010.There were rallies in five major cities, a public service announcement and messages on billboards and social media.

Oprah has been encouraging guests on her show and in her studio audience to sign the Now Phone Zone Pledge, a written commitment to not use the phone while driving. Celebrities who have already signed the pledge include Sandra Bullock, Tina Fey, Shaun White, Morgan Freeman, Sir Elton John, country music's Lady Antebellum, Queen Rania of Jordan, Jerry Seinfeld, the cast of TV's Glee and more.

According to Oprah, studies show it's safest to not use your phone at all while driving, so this is a worthwhile pledge to sign. you can sign the No Phone Zone Pledge on the Oprah website or by texting NPZ to 30644. There are three different levels of the pledge, including not using their phones at all while driving, by agreeing to stop texting and use only hands-free calling or by just not texting while they drive.

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