Mepham Hosts 'It Can Wait' Program

In recognition of National Teen Driver Safety Week, Wellington C. Mepham High School, in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, teamed up with the Nassau County District Attorney’s office to host AT&T’s “It Can Wait” assembly, a powerful anti-texting-while-driving presentation that highlights the dangers of this prevalent habit.

At the assembly, put together by Bellmore-Merrick’s Community Parent Center, students heard from Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, who gave some sobering statistics, including that texting while driving is the equivalent of driving for five seconds with your eyes closed. She had the students close their eyes while she counted to five.

Mepham students also heard from AT&T’s Regional Director of External Affairs Brandon Ray, who introduced a powerful documentary called “The Last Text.” In the documentary four groups of people personally devastated by a car accident caused by texting and driving shared their stories. In the film, those impacted by the habit held up cards with the offending text printed.

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“Teens must learn to ‘park their phone before they start their car’,” said Wendy Tepfer, the director of the Community Parent Center, who also spoke at the assembly. “Put it out of reach and out of sight. Remember... no one is that important! Ask yourself... is this worth risking my life or the lives of others? Make sure you hang up and drive safely and responsibly.”

After the film, students took turns in AT&T’s “It Can Wait” Texting & Driving Simulator. While sitting in a car seat, the students used a steering wheel and pedals to navigate a city-like driving course, obeying all traffic laws such as speed limits, stop signs and traffic lights, all while texting through a smartphone attached to the simulator.

The real life videogame setup comes complete with a large monitor and viewing screens so that students were able to see how the distractions affect the driver’s control of the car. Some students drove too slowly or drifted into the oncoming lane and were pulled over by police. Others crashed their vehicle into another vehicle or onto the curb.

During the assembly, the students signed a pledge board promising not to text and drive. They also had the opportunity to take the pledge online and share it with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.

According to recent statistics, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash is higher for 16 to 19 year-olds than for any other age group.

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