Statement as issued Wednesday:

INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mitch Daniels and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are encouraging Hoosiers to pledge not to text while driving. Daniels joined governors across the country by issuing a proclamation designating Sept. 19, 2012 as “Don’t Text & Drive Day.”

In conjunction with the announcement, INDOT will include messages reminding motorists not to text while driving on electronic sign boards along Indiana highways.

“Text messaging has experienced a tenfold increase in just the past three years and is the way many people communicate,” said INDOT Chief of Staff Troy Woodruff. “That means some people are doing it at the worst possible time - while driving. We need to help spread the message and educate Hoosiers that when it comes to driving, texting can wait.”

Those who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in some type of safety critical event as compared to drivers who don’t text while they drive, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Wireless provider AT&T launched the “It Can Wait” campaign in Indiana and throughout the United States to educate school communities and encourage students, parents, teachers and others to sign a pledge to not text and drive.

AT&T is calling on all drivers to go to www.itcanwait.com to take the no-texting-and-driving pledge, and then share their promise with others via Twitter (#itcanwait) and Facebook.