Halton Regional Police have launched a new campaign that seeks to stop distracted driving before it happens.
It’s called the #TextULater pledge and more than a dozen high school students have now signed on.
On the back, students are asked to sign off on a commitment to not read or send texts from behind the wheel.
READ MORE: Nearly 100 charged with distracted driving north of Toronto within a week
In the coming weeks, officers will be going into Burlington high schools during lunch hour, equipped with the cards as well as key chains that mark the gesture.
Sergeant Jared McLeod says he would like to see the pledge mimic other movements like the ice bucket challenge that spread through social media.
“Say look, I’ve taken it, I have my key chain, how about you take it, do the pledge also” said McLeod.
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According Halton Police statistics, the region racked up 1,354 distracted driving tickets between January 1, 2016 and November 24, 2016.
While the majority of the recipients were between 25- and 45-years-old, the service to believes that texting and driving is a behaviour that is learned early.
READ MORE: Distracted driving deaths outpacing impaired driving deaths
“In Burlington alone, we have over 8,000 plus students, so that just kind of trickle effects to their parents, siblings, friends” McLeod said in reference to the pledge.
His hope is that this campaign will start to shift the mindset around this form of distracted driving to one that regards it as socially unacceptable.
“We average about one serious accident a day here in Burlington.”
READ MORE: York police use buses to catch distracted divers
“No one plans on those accidents, so if we can do something to eliminate a causal factor to that accident, we’re all going to be safer” McLeod stresses.
The pilot project will officially start in Burlington on June 5.
Halton police expect to take the pledge to Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills next year.
After that, McLeod says festivals and even younger students could be incorporated into the campaign.
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