AT&T reports that text messaging is the main mode of communication for most American teenagers with half of all teens sending between 21 and 70 texts a day. (Photo used under Creative Commons from Flickr user stevendamron)

By Stephanie Pawlowski

NORMAL - Normal Mayor Chris Koos has declared Tuesday as "No Text on Board Pledge Day."

He's asking all drivers to take the pledge to not text and drive. It's a national campaign sponsored by AT&T.

"The accidents that happen, it's been very well documents that it's a very dangerous practice, and yet it goes on all the time," Koos said.

AT&T recently started the "It Can Wait" campaign, and more than 40 communities across the state support it, along with the Illinois Municipal League, Gov. Pat Quinn and Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon.

Koos said texting while driving is equivelent to drinking and driving.

"It's part of my job as mayor to raise awareness of issues that can hurt our community and the people in our community," Koos said. "It's an unsafe practice and if we can raise awareness to the fact that it is unsafe and get people thinking about it, I'm all behind it."

According to statistics from AT&T, 90 percent of American teenagers expect a reply to a text message within five minutes and 43 percent of American teenage drivers admitted to texting while driving even though 97 percent know it's dangerous.

A recent study from AT&T also found those who send text messages while driving are 23 percent more likely to crash.

Stephanie Pawlowski can be reached at Stephanie.Pawlowski@Cumulus.com.