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Even AT&T says don’t text and drive

Telecommunications giant AT&T has adopted a slightly ironic public policy, given its business: Don’t text and drive.

AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said his company will join Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday at the Distracted Driving Summit in Washington, D.C.

Dallas-based AT&T (NYSE: T) also is launching its own internal campaign targeting AT&T staffers who drive as part of their duties. AT&T is revising its wireless and motor vehicle policies to prohibit employees from texting when they are driving on the job.

For its customers, AT&T will begin adding don’t-text-and-drive messages on the plastic clings that protect AT&T handsets, the company said.

AT&T is also in the process of producing public service announcements using high-profile spokespeople who will warn the public against the dangers of texting while driving.

“Texting has increasingly become the way to communicate for many people, and the urge to quickly read and respond — even while driving — can be tempting,” Stephenson said in a statement Tuesday.