Attorney General Kilmartin Visits EPHS

Several times during the school year, students at East Providence High School are presented with worthwhile assembly programs which may discuss important matters beyond their classroom walls. January 28th was such a day as several high school students received a serious message from state and local law enforcement leaders. “Texting while driving is a major problem, both in Rhode Island and across the country. We have seen multiple accidents right here in Rhode Island in which distracted driving and/or texting while driving was a contributing factor,” said R.I. Attorney General Peter F.Kilmartin. Kilmartin sponsored the state’s landmark legislation in 2009 banning texting while driving, as well as this year’s legislation to increase penalties for drivers caught texting and driving. He has brought his campaign against texting while driving to high school students from across Rhode Island. Kilmartin and state officials call their effort, "Txting & Drving...It Can Wait". The statewide awareness tour is sponsored by the Attorney General, RI Department of Transportation, the R.I. State Police and AT & T. This group was joined by East Providence Police Chief Joseph Tavares, Rhode Island State Police Major James Manni, RIDOT Office on Highway Safety Supervisor Francisco Lovera and AT&T Regional Director for External Affairs Joseph Shannon. Also in attendance on the high school stage was State Representative (and high school teacher), Gregg Amore, the school's resource officer, Doug Borden, Assistant Principal Shani Wallace and Jennifer Wall, Executive Director of the East Providence Prevention Coalition.

The assembled officials urged East Providence High students to pledge to never text and drive. The assembly began with Vice Principal Shani Wallace demonstrating a driving simulator that showed how much texting affects a driver’s ability to maintain control of a vehicle – after receiving a simulated text message, Vice Principal Wallace “crashed.” A short speaking program followed the driving simulator, and then students, teachers and guests viewed an AT&T documentary featuring families impacted by texting and driving accidents. At the conclusion of the presentation, students and faculty were asked to sign a pledge to not text and drive. More than 450 seniors at the high school took the pledge.

"Watching the film and discussing this issue is very sobering. I get choked up a bit knowing that these families have lost a child to needless texting while driving," Wallace told her students. “Just as it took time and education to convince people to wear seat belts, it will take time to change attitudes about how dangerous it is to text and drive. To date, we have made 28 school visits across Rhode Island, where over 10,500 students took the pledge not to text and drive. We will continue spreading this important message: when it comes to texting and driving, It Can Wait,” said a well-received Kilmartin.

“I am grateful for Attorney General Kilmartin to bring this campaign to our students today. Hopefully it will help everyone think twice about reading or sending a text while driving. Even though it only takes a few seconds to send or read a text that can be an eternity when you consider how little time it takes for a child to run into the street or for traffic to suddenly slow in front of you. All in all the possibility of a tragedy due to texting is totally preventable. We just need to put the phone away and wait,” said Wallace.

East Providence Police Chief Joseph Tavares, a graduate of EPHS, also addressed the students. "I have worked as a policeman for 32 years. It is very sad to have to tell parents that their child has passed away," he said to a very quiet auditorium. Popular school resource officer, Doug Borden spoke to his students - many he knows by full name. "I won't use the microphone," he bellowed out as he walked about the huge stage. "I won't worry about scaring you. Some of you are being measured for a casket, if you continue to text while driving. Or you may kill someone else. Don't text and drive, Capisce?" he asked. "Capisce!", was the students loud response. (capisce is Italian for Got it? or Understand?).

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of youth deaths, aged 15-20, explains a statistic on the EP Prevention Coalition face book page. A recent ConnectSafely.org survey found that individuals who speak up can have a profound impact, particularly on teens:

• 78% of teen drivers said they’re likely not to text and drive if friends tell them it’s wrong or stupid.

• 90% say they’d stop if a friend in the car asked them to.

• 93% would stop if a parent in the car asked them to.

• 44% say they would be thankful if a passenger complained about their texting while driving.

Rhode Island State Police Colonel and Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety Steven G. O’Donnell added, "Distracted Drivers are a serious problem on our roadways. As the enforcement arm of this campaign, we are pleased to join Attorney General Kilmartin, DOT and educators to get the message out to our most vulnerable population, don't text and drive!"

"You at East Providence High School - the Townies - are very fortunate to have leaders like Ms. Wallace and Officer Doug as well as your police chief and Rep. Gregg Amore and so many others here supporting you. Take the pledge, help us save lives," Kilmartin implored his audience.

AT&T first began its' “It Can Wait” campaign discouraging texting and driving in 2009, and the campaign is making a difference: one in three people who have seen the texting while driving documentary say they have changed their driving habits, the campaign has inspired more than 2.5 million pledges never to text and drive, and the recently-launched “From One Second to the Next” documentary has received over 2 million views since August 8. This documentary can be seen for free on youtube.com. For more information or to take the pledge, interested parties can visit www.att.com/itcanwait or contact the Office of Attorney General Kilmartin at 401-274-4400 ext 2007. Capisce?