Students pledge not to text and drive

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - Texing while driving kills 6,000 people every year in the United States, and students at UMass Amherst are trying to reduce that tragic statistic.

Some students are trying to get their classmates to pledge not to text while they drive.

They set up a table at the Campus Center on Monday to educate students about the dangers of texting while driving. They also offered students tips on how they can still communicate without taking their eyes off the road.

“Try to have a designated texter; maybe you as the driver aren't texting, but your passenger is for you. Using voice recognition on your cell phone instead of having your hands on the wheel at all times,” suggested UMass senior Kaila Kennedy.

Students said that the best way to avoid texting while driving is to simply shut your phone off when you're driving.