Students at Mepham High School in Merrick got a one-of-a-kind lesson about the dangers of distracted driving Friday afternoon.

Members of the It Can Wait campaign brought a texting-and-driving simulator to the school to demonstrate that no text is worth endangering lives.

Driving advocates say it takes five seconds to send or look at a text. When News 12 reporter Jessica Borg attempted to text and drive in the simulator, she drove up on a sidewalk and got pulled over by police.

"It's really important to put your phone away and not to look at it at all," said student Kaitlyn Quintaelle.

Every year, 3,000 people nationwide die because of texting behind the wheel.