With Sir Saint, the Saint’s mascot, cheering them on, students and teachers at AES dipped their thumbs in blue ink to take the “X the TXT” pledge against texting and driving.

The mascot accompanied Michael Lewis, retired kick returner and wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, members of the Saintsations, and representatives from Allstate Insurance who came to educate students about the dangers of texting and driving.

“Girls, leave your cell phones in your handbags in the trunk,” urged Lewis, who mixed humor with sobering statistics about accidents and fatalities related to texting.

According to Lewis, a driver is 23 times more likely to have an accident while texting and nine times more likely to have an accident when simply talking on a cell phone while driving.  Further, the leading cause of teenage fatalities is automobile accidents.

Lewis reminded students that it is a violation of state law for anyone under the age of 17 to even be talking on a cell phone behind the wheel.

“You guys are important,” said Lewis.  “You are the future.”