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Local high school students get lesson in texting while driving

Posted at 7:16 AM, Mar 28, 2012
and last updated 2012-03-28 07:16:53-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – Wednesday the entire student body of James River High School will get a lesson on the dangers of texting and driving from their peers who have experienced the risks first-hand.

Students will hear from Priscilla Sherwood, a VCU graduate student who crashed her car after sending a text message. Janet Brooking, a Trauma nurse with VCU Medical Center, will also speak to the assembly about her first-hand experiences in the ER.

The event is part of campaigns by both AT&T and DRIVE SMART Virginia to educate teens about the consequences that can result from just one text.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that people who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash (or what they call a near-crash event) than nondistracted drivers.

Students were also invited by DRIVE SMART Virginia to create their own public service announcements about the dangers of texting while driving. The winning PSA will be shown during the event.

CBS 6 will be at James River High School, look for an update on CBS 6 News at Noon.