FAIRMONT —
The Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Fairmont Federal Credit Union launched their new campaign, “W82TXT,” Monday at East Fairmont High School.
The purpose of the campaign was to encourage students to make a pledge to avoid texting while driving. Students voluntarily signed a pledge card that read: “I pledge to protect lives by never texting while driving, to be a good passenger who will speak out if my driver is texting and to also encourage phone-free driving among family and friends.”
As a symbol of that commitment, students signed banners that will be hung throughout Marion County and also received thumb rings that read “W82TXT” to serve as a reminder of the pledge they made.
Chief Deputy Ralph Wright explained to students the danger of texting while driving. The average time it takes to read a text message is 4 1/2 seconds. If a driver is traveling at a speed of 55 mph, he will cover the length of a football field in that amount of time.
“One blink of an eye can change your life forever,” Wright said. “And it doesn’t just affect you. It can affect your friends, it can affect your family and it can affect other people’s friends and family.”
Wright advised the students to avoid the temptation of texting while driving by turning off their cellphones once they sit in the driver’s seat. If they can’t hear the phone ring or vibrate, he said, they will be less likely to check their phone for messages.
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‘W82TXT’ campaign addresses distracted driving
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