WEST MILTON, Ohio -- The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Piqua Post will be sending driving safety reminders via text message to Milton-Union High School students. The new safety campaign unveiled Friday in West Milton will allow state troopers to send text messages directly to students and voicemail messages to parents through the school district’s One Call Now system.

The Patrol plans to send messages periodically throughout the school year to remind students to take the responsibility of driving seriously. Examples of safety messages that are planned include prom, graduation and winter driving.

Students signed-up for the service during lunch on Friday. Those students also signed their name on a “Partnership for Safe Teen Driving” banner as their pledge to drive responsibly.

“Teenagers today spend a lot of time on their cell phones. These messages are a great way to educate them and maybe help to save a life from being lost on our roadways,” said Lt. William Peck, commander of the Piqua OSP Post.

During 2006 to 2008, teen drivers were at fault in 136,693 traffic crashes, resulting in 60,710 injuries and 470 deaths on Ohio roadways.

“We are very excited to get this program off and running,” said Dr. Brain Powderly, principal at Milton-Union.

“It's extremely gratifying to partner with organizations such as the Ohio State Highway Patrol to protect, inform and engage the youth in our communities,” said Leib Lurie, CEO of One Call Now in Troy.

Students should be getting their first text message from Lt. Peck this week end. Their parents have already received their message from the local post commander by way of the telephone.