Have you ever seen someone texting and driving? Most of us have and thought nothing of it. We have become so desensitized to the dangers of such a simple action. Many innocent lives are lost because of texting and driving. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3,328 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2012 alone. An additional, 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver (www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving).

Even with all the news about the dangers of texting and driving, there are still people who continue to do it. Why? Is the call or text really important to the point where people are risking their life and the lives of others around them? The answer is most likely no. Therefore, that call or text can always wait. “The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted” ( The Federal Communications Commission). Essentially, texting and driving causes more severe accidents because the distracted driver does not have enough time to react.

Despite the laws against using your phone and driving, many people still do it. Sadly, we have become so dependent on our phones that we continue to risk our own life and the lives of others just to get the satisfaction of checking our phone. 

It is important for students, who will be driving soon, to fully understand the consequences of texting and driving in order to prevent disastrous collisions. It may be tempting to use your phone when there is slow traffic and and no car is moving, but there are many different ways to stop texting while driving. For example, when you get into the car, put your phone on silent and put it somewhere you cannot reach. Talking to passengers or listening to music on the radio are also good ways to pass time in the car. 

Why should I care? Many of you might be asking this question while you are reading this. Here is the reason: you will soon get a driver license or already have one, and acknowledging the dangers of texting and driving is very significant. Before you take out your phone while driving, remember that you are putting your life on the line and the lives of other mothers, fathers, children, students, teachers, and families in danger.