On a night where many students dress up and have fun, the aftermath may result in the loss of one of more lives. Distracted driving has claimed 3,477 lives in 2015 alone, and the number continues to increase year by year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).

This year, instead of the biennial drunk driving presentation, the school is partnering with AT&T and their ‘it can wait’ program to teach juniors and seniors about distracted driving , reminding them to be careful, both for prom and whenever they are on the road.

“[The speakers] will be talking about distracted driving and all the different effects of distracted driving,” Ryan Rubenstein, assistant principal for facilities and student activities, said. “I think the assembly has gone really well in past years for those that have attended and for those that internalize the message, take it to heart.It’s just like a class, it’s just like anything else; what you put in is what you’re going to get. You come to the assembly with an open mind looking to learn something tomorrow you will absolutely learn something.”

Rubenstein said he thinks it is important for students to understand and reiterate the effects of distracted driving and what it can have on any group of people.

“I feel that [car crashes caused by drinking/texting and driving] are easy to avoid and that it’s sad that so many innocent people get hurt from the risks taken by others,” Lexi Halinski, junior, said. “I’ve seen teens and adults text and drive [more than I’ve witnessed] drinking [and driving]. I just see them on their phones and I’m wondering what’s so important that they have to put everyone’s life at risk.”

Texting while driving is the leading cause of distracted driving, and drivers who are texting while behind the wheel have a 23% higher chance of causing a crash, according to bisociety.org.

“If you care about the person you’re texting and/or yourself then put your phone down and everyone would be happy you did,” Halinski said. “If it’s an emergency then pull over, don’t put others at risk. We all have something to live for.”

Rubenstein said he hopes that students will find the assembly captivating and relevant to what goes on in their own lives.

“The choices that people make do not only affect themselves, but others as well,” Rubenstein said. “It’s really important to make sure that whether you’re the driver or the passenger, the choices that you make really do affect people.”