Nation's Largest Wireless Carriers Team Up Against Texting

Shelving competition for a cause-- cell phone carriers across the country are teaming up in an effort to stop users from texting while driving.

In an industry first, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile are set to release a campaign entitled "It Can Wait" this summer across both television and radio. The campaign is reportedly costing millions of dollars, and has 200 additional organizations backing it.

The campaign is also going to be advertised on Goodyear's three blimps, the AP reports, and will have store displays, community outreach events and will be promoted across social media platforms.

DoSomething.org, a nonprofit outreach organization, reports 56% of teens talk on the phone while driving, and that talking on a cellphone will double the likelihood of an accident. What's more, it slows a young driver's reaction time to that of a 70-year-old.

AT&T also reports that those who text while driving are 23-times more likely to be in a crash, and calls texting while driving an "epidemic." As of right now, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports 39 states have banned texting while driving by law, and the use of cellphones by novice drivers is banned in 36 states.