PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Transportation and Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin are joining forces to bring AT&T’s “Txting & Drivng … It Can Wait” campaign to Rhode Island schools.

According to a joint release, 43 percent of teenagers admit to sending texts while they drive even though they know texting while driving is dangerous.

The ‘It Can Wait’ campaign will launch on Sept. 19 with a visit to Cranston High School East by Kilmartin, DOT Director Michael Lewis, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, AT&T New England President Patricia Jacobs and school officials.

“Whether turning the phone off, taking a pledge, or just making it a personal practice, the next time you think about sending or answering a text while operating a vehicle please remember – it can wait,” said Kilmartin, who sponsored the state’s landmark legislation in 2009 banning texting while driving. •