A car going 55 mph will travel the length of a football field in the 4.8 seconds it takes the driver to type the average text message.

And while the car is covering that distance, the driver is looking at his phone instead of the road.Each year, more than 3,000 teenagers die from crashes caused by texting while driving, and another 300,000 are injured.Schuylkill County wants to keep people safe on the road. So on Wednesday, commissioners adopted a proclamation aimed at making people aware of the dangers of texting while driving.Commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier said he had a startling reminder of the dangers of distracted driving that morning when an oncoming car drifted into his lane, the driver looking down instead of paying attention to traffic.The proclamation, designating September and October as Distracted Driving Awareness Months, was presented by the Schuylkill County Motor Vehicle Safety Coalition.The anti-texting message will be brought home this fall via campaigns at high school varsity football games.Following the proclamation, commissioners approved a $22,660 maintenance contract with Lightspeed Technologies for the Voice-over-Internet Protocol system. The contract runs from Oct. 8 through Oct. 31, 2015.In other matters, commissioners approved contracts for the county's Children and Youth Services agency. The agreements run through June 30, 2015.• Clear Vision Residential, Montgomery, Lycoming County, for residential program at a per diem of $185.31, and group home at a per diem of $186.09;• George Junior Republic in Pennsylvania, Grove City, for community-based group homes at a per diem of $136.65, shelter care at a per diem of $148.53, intensive supervision at a per diem of $284.37;• Cornell Abraxas Group, Pittsburgh, for leadership development at a per diem of $160.45, shelter at a per diem of $255, fire setters/sex offenders at a per diem of $307.73;• Jewish Family Services, Harrisburg, for level AA foster care at a per diem rate of $56, level BX foster care at a per diem of $62.50, and level DD foster care at a per diem of $62.80;• PA Treatment and Healing, Turbotville, Northumberland County, for specialized foster care at a per diem of $53, halfway house at a per diem of $150, and a weekend program at a per unit rate of $320;• Friendship House, Scranton, Lackawanna County, for foster care HH level at a per diem of $23, foster care KK level at a per diem of $83.50, and group home care at a per diem of $173.31;• Open Door, Reading, Berks County, for traditional foster care at a per diem of $40.50, specialized foster care at a per diem of $68, and mother/infant foster care at a per diem of $94;• Commonwealth Clinical Group, Lancaster, for group sessions at a per diem of $25, individual sessions at a per diem of $115, and certain custody evaluations at $500 per unit.Commissioners also approved increasing a contract between Rest Haven and Advance Medical Staffing by $30,000.The increase is driven by increased need for services, commissioners said.Commissioners also approved personnel moves:Rest Haven: Hired Hope Mosteller, Pottsville, as a full-time nurses' aid at $12.44 an hour, and Sarah Connors, Pottsville, as a part-time licensed practical nurse at $16.97 an hour.They accepted the resignations of per diem LPN Bobbi James of Mohrsville, per diem registered nurse Lori Fick of Pine Grove, and full-time nurses' aid Erin Vesay of Pottsville.Planning and Zoning: Hired Nicholas V. Mazeikas, Mahanoy City, as an assistant planner at $29.94 an hour.Sheriff's Office: Accepted the resignation of Christopher Rooney of East Norwegian Township from his job as civil sergeant.Juvenile Probation: Accepted the resignation of Ian Keck, Schuylkill Haven, from his job as probation officer one, and transferred Michael Brennan, Pottsville, from probation aid to adult probation.Court Administration: Accepted the resignation of Rick Laubach, New Ringgold, from his job as judicial attendant.Coroners Office: Accepted the resignations of deputy coroners Matthew Frey of West Brunswick Township and Carol Bosavage of Frackville.Adult Probation: Appointed Adam Witmer of Tower City as an unpaid intern.