T-Mobile urges drivers: Use hands-free kits while driving!

• About 30% of drivers do not use hands-free kits to make calls while driving
• Not paying full attention when driving was the most frequent and one of the most tragic causes of road accidents in the first half of 2007
• One of the principles of the jaXmobilem Ten Mobile Commandments reads: "Both hands on the wheel"

Prague, 25 July 2007 - Even after the adoption of the new Road Act, Czech roads are still a dangerous place. According to a survey conducted by IBRS, 92% of drivers sometimes use a mobile phone while driving; however, only 72% of them use a hands-free kit. This means that thirty percent of drivers do not obey the law and risk losing points. And not only points - not paying full attention when driving, largely due to using mobile phones while behind the wheel, is the most frequent cause of road accidents. Even more dangerous than making calls are activities such as texting, viewing the organizer or contacts, etc.

"According to the Czech Auto Club, the reaction time of a driver who is not paying full attention to driving is almost three times as long as that of a driver paying full attention. This is why the both-hands-on-the-wheel principle is an important part of the Ten Mobile Commandments that we prepared as part of the jaXmobilem project in 2006," says Martina Kemrová, T-Mobile's Head of Corporate Communication and spokesperson, adding: "This issue should certainly be taken seriously, as not paying sufficient attention when driving costs lives."

During the first six months of this year, there were 86,515 traffic accidents in the Czech Republic, which were most frequently caused by drivers not paying full attention to their driving (18.5%). The other most frequent causes included not keeping a safe distance and illegal u-turns and reversing. The large number of resulting fatal injuries is particularly alarming - 495 people died on Czech roads during the first six months of 2007, which is 14.1% more than in the same period last year. A total of 55 deaths were attributable to poor concentration.

Therefore, in addition to the jaXmobilem initiative, T-Mobile has decided to promote the use of hands-free kits through another project. In cooperation with Centrum Paraple and the Czech Auto Club, the company has prepared its first social-marketing campaign, titled Call & Drive. It was launched in June and will continue until the end of August with the aim of making the public aware of the tragic consequences of making calls while behind the wheel with the use of shocking advertising materials.

A part of the proceeds from the sale of hands-free kits will be donated to charity. "Five percent of the price of each hands-free kit purchased from T-Mobile during the campaign will be donated to Centrum Paraple," says Martina Kemrová. According to the latest figures, T-Mobile customers purchased 1,895 hands-free kits and headsets during the first few weeks of the campaign (weeks 25-28), which means that the operator has so far contributed more than CZK 111,000 to Centrum Paraple.

T­Mobile has been engaged in the issue of mobile etiquette since 2005. Last year, the company launched the successful jaXmobilem project, supported with a website at www.jaXmobilem.cz. The project is conducted in co-operation with the cartoonist Štěpán Mareš. The jaXmobilem project is part of T-Mobile's program of corporate social responsibility, which also includes, for example, the T-Mobile Fund intended to support local initiatives in the regions where T-Mobile has its offices. Furthermore, T-Mobile organizes an annual charity auction and a volunteer program for its employees, supports waste recycling on its premises and is the first mobile operator in the market to have enabled customers to hand in their old handsets at retail shops for the purpose of ecological disposal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.