Two Brock University students want Niagara to commit to putting down their phones while driving.

Sierra Barrett and Cam Leveille from the Brock chapter of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) have launched a Pledgeathon around texting and driving.

The goal, says Barrett, is simply “to try to get 1,000 drivers to never text while driving again.”

“We picked this (issue) because they just changed the legislation here and it’s a big issue for university students,” says Barrett, a 20-year-old biomedical sciences student from Beamsville.

The pledge drive launched last week as part of a wider international IHI campaign to get 30,000 pledges in 30 days. The four-week campaign will include social media, booths on campus and information being posted around the school.

While students are the main focus of the drive, Leveille says he’s hoping the wider Niagara community gets involved.

“We’re hoping the school itself, as well as the wider Niagara region will get involved in pledging against texting and driving,” the 20-year-old medical sciences student from St. Catharines says.

For more information on the pledgeathon, email Brock.i.can@gmail.com.

To sign the no texting and driving pledge, click here.