(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R,C,WF,I-Huntington Station) today joined students, staff and administrators from Walt Whitman High School to kick off It Can Wait, an anti-texting while driving campaign sponsored by AT&T. As part of the It Can Wait program, students at Walt Whitman High School watched a ten minute documentary entitled “The Last Text,” which recounts stories of families and students who have lost loved ones or been involved in accidents as a result of texting while driving.
Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci is joined by Dr. David Bennardo, Superintendent of the South Huntington School District, Officer Drew from the Suffolk County Police Department, Brandon Ray from AT&T, and Kathleen Acker, Principal of Walt Whitman High School.
“Texting while driving has become an all too familiar end for so many families,” said Lupinacci. “Too often, these tragic accidents could have been prevented by a driver simply by putting down the phone and waiting to text until they’ve arrived safely at their destination. While this is true for all drivers, it hits home especially with young drivers, many of whom are getting behind the wheel for the first time. No text is worth the cost of a life, and I want to thank AT&T and the staff and administration at Walt Whitman for taking the time today to reinforce this message with the students.”
From 2005 to 2011, there has been an increase of approximately 143 percent in cell phone-related crashes in New York State. In 2011, there were 25,165. Currently, 43 percent of teenage drivers admit that they regularly text while driving, according to research released at a recent poster session of the Pediatric Academic Societies.
“Today was also special because it provided our school community the chance for open, honest dialogue about a very real public health concern. Texting and driving is not just a teenage issue, it is a nation-wide problem that transcends generations and impacts us all. We are all so accustomed to immediate communication that the temptation to quickly connect with business associates, family and friends often clouds our better judgment. Walt Whitman Principal Ms. Kathleen Acker summed it up best today when she said that no message is as important as the lives of our students, family and friends. We thank Assemblyman Lupinacci and AT&T for taking the time to share that message and remind us all that the text can wait until the car has stopped,” said South Huntington Schools Superintendent, Dr. David Bennardo.
“As drivers return to normal work and school schedules, the public must remain particularly vigilant and continue to educate younger drivers and their parents about the dangers of texting and driving,” said Marissa Shorenstein, President of New York AT&T. “We are so pleased New York State Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci and officials from Walt Whitman High School are joining us today to help get the message across that no text is worth dying for.”
Through the It Can Wait initiative, AT&T and other supporters are calling on all drivers to go to www.itcanwait.com to take the no-texting-while-driving pledge, and then share their pledge with others on social media.
As part of an effort to crack down on texting while driving in New York, this year Lupinacci joined his Assembly colleagues to unanimously pass A.7739, which was signed into law on June 1. Under the new regulations, probationary and junior license holders would have their permit or license suspended for 60 days upon a first conviction. For a subsequent conviction within six months of license restoration, probationary drivers would have their license revoked for six months and junior license holders would have their permit or license revoked for an additional 60 days. In addition, drivers convicted of texting while driving will now incur 5 points on their license and a $150 fine. In New York, a driver’s license is suspended if it accumulates 11 points over 18 months.
