Nationwide Insurance, NASCAR Drivers Brad Keselowski, Eric McClure Encourage Local Teens to Stop Texting While Driving.

Nationwide and Meijer Team up to Curb DWD - "Driving While Distracted"

FLORENCE, Ky. -- Today, Nationwide Insurance teamed up with NASCAR drivers Brad Keselowski and Eric McClure to raise awareness among teens in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana about DWD - Driving While Distracted.

"To get to Victory Lane like I did last weekend in Nashville, my team had to have a mistake-free race," said Brad Keselowski. "That required me to be 100 percent focused behind the wheel of my Navy Chevrolet, just like I am when I'm in my Chevy Silverado during the week. It's easy to get sidetracked by cell phones and other distractions, but staying focused on the road and on the race track is important to a safe arrival no matter whether you're driving home or on your way to Victory Lane."

To drive home the message that multitasking behind the wheel puts drivers and their fellow motorists as risk, Nationwide hosted an event with the Kentucky Speedway and Meijer at the Meijer store in Florence, Kentucky. From behind the wheel of a NASCAR simulator, teens saw firsthand the impact text messaging has on their driving abilities.

"It's important to focus while driving on the racetrack, but even more critical on the road. Now that I'm a husband and father, I'm responsible for my family even more than myself, so I have to pay attention to my surroundings at all times," said Eric McClure, driver of the No. 24 Hefty Chevy. "Driving is a privilege and, with more people on the road than ever, the risk is at an all-time high so it is important to avoid all distractions."

New Nationwide Insurance Survey Underscores DWD Problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted drivers account for nearly four out of five crashes in the U.S. The problem is especially bad for young drivers. In a new survey released by Nationwide Mutual Insurance of 1,500 drivers, nearly 40 percent of the teenagers and young adults surveyed admitted they send and receive text messages while driving - the same percentage of those questioned who said they have been hit or almost hit by another car whose driver was talking on a cell phone.

"Clearly, distracted driving has taken over our roadways, and our survey shows that no one is immune -- no matter how safe they think they are," said Bill Windsor, Associate Vice President of Safety for Nationwide.

Distractions that take a driver's eyes off the road even for just seconds put drivers and their passengers at great risk.

"At Nationwide, we're as much in the business of preventing accidents as we are in reimbursing people after an accident," said Windsor. "Text messaging comes natural to Gen Y-ers. However, multitasking while behind the wheel is quite different from multitasking while sitting at home."

Nationwide and the National Safety Council developed www.NationwideSmartRide.com, a Website to provide parents and teens free tools and resources to help develop safe drivers and reinforce smart behavior. It is available free to anyone regardless of whether they are a Nationwide customer.

Today's event is part of Nationwide Insurance's new sponsorship of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In addition to spreading the message of dangers of driving while distracted, the event gave race fans an opportunity to get driver autographs, clock the fastest time in a NASCAR racing simulator, meet local Nationwide agents and win prizes. The grand prize for the sweepstakes at the event was the Nationwide VIP Experience at Kentucky Speedway, which includes behind-the-scenes tours.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, June 14, 2008 for the Meijer 300 presented by Oreo. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2.

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $161 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #108 on the Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series logo and word mark are used under license by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NASCAR [R] and the NASCAR logo are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Auto Racing, Inc. Nationwide SmartRide is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Nationwide, On Your Side and the Nationwide frame mark are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.