These words will sound familiar to any teen: “Kids think they’re invincible.” Parents say it all the time, whether it is after their son went for a touchdown despite being tackled hard a play earlier, or whether its after their daughter completes a gold winning floor routine despite having torn muscles moments before. Those words, however, can also just as easily be uttered out of sadness and grief.
Those very same words were once said by Clay Sauer, a parent whose 18 year-old daughter Taylor died texting while driving. 1 Taylor, a National Merit Scholar, softball player, active volunteer, and class salutatorian, died instantly when she slammed into a tractor-trailer at 80 mph. Taylor, tragically, is far from being alone for her age. Drivers under the age of 20 are the age group with the largest proportion represented in the number of fatal crashes per year due to “distracted driving”. 2 But why would a promising teen, why would any teen, people with their whole lives ahead of them, take such a chance on a text? There is no MVP medal or big trophy for the mantle for texting while driving, nothing worthwhile to gain, so then, why do teens continue to take the risk?
Many people think that since it takes only seconds to send a text, that taking their eyes from the road is a wholly rational risk. Five seconds is the average time that a person takes their eyes off the road while texting; traveling at 55mph, this is enough time to be equivalent to driving the length of a football field blindfolded! 3 Combine this with the fact that a driver, teen or otherwise, who engages in texting is three times more likely to be in an accident, the idea that it is rational to text while driving seems questionable at best. 4
Teens are not completely to blame. They’ve likely seen parents, bus drivers, and chaperones use their phones too. During the day in the United States, about 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or other electronic devices while driving, a number that has held for over four years. 4 Teens should, however, strive to be better than the bad examples, and not texting while driving is just one easy way to do so.
If nothing else, teens have to understand that the consequences are no joke. Their death, the death of friends, family, or even complete strangers should always be reason enough to stop. If not, then perhaps consider the legal consequences.
Teens in this state have been prosecuted to the fullest extent possible in order to deter such conduct; a penalty of 2 years in prison and a 15-year license suspension is not to be taken lightly. 6 Are texts really more important than freedom or lives? If texts are important, just pull over, give it full attention, and avoid the risk entirely. Teens need to think twice about sending texts while driving, because you only live once, and can’t afford to risk it all for nothing.
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1. “Parents of Teen Who Died Texting and Driving.” http://www.today.com/id/46627015/ns/today-today_news/t/parents-teen-who-died-texting-driving-kids-think-theyre-invincible/#.U5ju-y8WfRI
2. “Key Facts and Statistics.” http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/facts-and-statistics.html
3. Id.
4. Id.
5. Id.
6. “Massachusetts Teen Sentenced to Prison for Texting While Driving.” http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/06/12090348-massachusetts-teen-sentenced-to-prison-for-texting-while-driving?lite
ethandazelle 