Barrington High School students learned a serious lesson on Wednesday morning — one that could save their life or the lives of others.

Members of the sophomore class attended the "It Can Wait" presentation offered by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, the Rhode Island State Police, and AT&T. The program highlights the dangerous and often deadly consequences of distracted driving.

"We realize that it can be difficult to change behavior," said Mr. Kilmartin, "but we hope that through peer influence and by hearing some of the tragic, real life situations that have resulted from distracted driving, more teens will realize that no text message, snap, tweet or Instagram is worth losing their own life, or worse, taking the life of another person. It Can Wait.”

During the school assembly, students watched a powerful documentary titled “The Last Text,” which featured young people whose lives have been forever impacted by distracted driving.

Barrington High School students also signed a pledge to not use their phones while driving and to serve as ambassadors by asking others to put away their phones while in the car.

The statistics remain staggering — according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico added: "The Rhode Island State Police supports the 'It Can Wait' program as a valuable tool for educating young drivers about the dangers of distracted driving and driving home the message that a single text or cell phone call behind the wheel can have deadly consequences.”

New 'hands-free' legislation

Rhode Island recently passed legislation that cracks down on distracted driving — it's called the "hands-free" law and it prohibits people from talking on hand-held devices while driving. It is also illegal to text while driving.

“Last year, Rhode Island took a great step forward in cracking down on distracted driving with the passage of ‘hands-free,’ but passing a law is not going to make the habit go away,” said Mr. Kilmartin.

Patricia Jacobs, president of AT&T New England, added: "We need to keep talking about this issue, and we need to keep reminding our friends and loved ones to put their phones down while they’re behind the wheel.”