Members of the Coxsackie-Athens Student Council and the group Students Against Destructive Decisions, or S.A.D.D., have teamed up to start a new “No Phone Zone” program, and went before theirBoard of Education the final week in January to present their ideas, and to get the board’s stamp of approval. “No Phone Zone” is a new national program that warns youngsters about the dangers created by “distracted driving” – driving a vehicle while talking on a cell phone, or making or receiving text messages. In a Daily Mail story about the issue, and recent presentation, Student Council President Jack Whiting noted that one in three teens ages 16-17 years old text while driving, and 40% of youngsters ages 12-17 have been in a car while the driver was texting or talking on a cell phone. Half of the teens studied admitted they talk on a cell phone themselves while behind the wheel. “Every day, 16 people are killed by distracted drivers who are texting or using their cell phones while driving,” Whiting said. That equals approximately 6,000 deaths each year. On February 18, the two student groups will co-host an assembly at Coxsackie-Athens High School where students will learn about distracted driving, watch videos and take a personal pledge that they will never text or talk on a cell phone while driving. In addition, a sign reading, “No Distracted Driving”, will be installed at the triangle in the front entrance of the school.