For Huntington and Northport Students, A Text-free Driving Pledge

Photo: Leg. William R. Spencer, M.D. administering pledge to John Glenn High School seniors.

Leg. William R. Spencer, M.D., D-Huntington, is visiting local high schools, urging students to take the text-free driving pledge.

“Texting while driving is the number one driving distraction reported by teens,” he said. “Let’s stop assuming that we can handle texting while driving without posing a danger to ourselves and others.”

Accidents, injuries and fatalities due to texting while driving continue to threaten the roadways, Spencer’s office points out in a news release.

Across the nation texting and driving causes 1.6 million accidents per year and 11 teen deaths every day.

“The numbers are clear, but the good news is that together we can reverse this deadly trend by taking responsibility and pledging not to make that dangerous choice,” Spencer said.

Spencer traveled to Cold Spring Harbor High School on Monday and to John Glenn High School on Wednesday to administer the following pledge:

“I promise that I will not read, write or send messages using any handheld device while driving, because I understand that it puts my life and the lives of others at risk of harmful injury or death.”

Next stop on the legislator’s pledge tour is Harborfields High School.

Spencer also recommends researching and downloading apps as an effective tool in the fight against texting while driving.

Students are also encouraged to urge parents not to text and drive. According to Spencer, 58 percent of teenagers have witnessed their parents texting and driving.