Looking down at your phone for that quick second can be the difference between life or death. Some teenagers are willing to risk a lot to just send that quick text to their friends or family.

Studies from icebike.org state that an average of 11 teens die every day due to that “one last text” that they’re going to send to their friend while behind the wheel. These death are a result of the 330,000 car crashes that happen per year involving texting while driving. In interviews with multiple students said ,” yeah I’ve texted and driven before, but it’s okay I won’t crash”.

Showing the same confidence as those students, Senior Gracie Burnim admitted to texting and driving at least once before, knowing the risks of what she was doing.

“ I drive with my knees and texts with my hands,” Burnim joked, showing the confidence she has in her driving skills, “I have places to be and people to see.”

Teen drivers each day just want to get that “one last text” while they are driving but they don’t know that their chances of getting in a car crash skyrocket no matter how small of a text. But that doesn’t exclude her from the dangers she faces by not giving her full attention to the road and her surroundings. Studies show an average of 16 to 19 teens die every day due to that that they’re going to send to their friend while behind the wheel.  loss of all sight of the road when looking down at your phone could proves fatal.” It won’t matter if you’re driving the safest car in the world if you aren’t prepared for what could lie ahead then you could pay the consequences”, said Maggie Bowen.

Students aren’t the only ones getting in smartphone related car accidents. According to cdc.gov, nine adults and more than 1,000 people are getting into car accidents due to mobile devices. Students who don’t drive encounter texting and driving on a daily basis. Michael Farago, a person who doesn’t have his juniors operators license says, ” yeah I have gotten in a car while someone was texting and driving. We almost crashed”.

Kiefer Callewaert saw statistics  when asked about texting and driving and said,  “ One out of four teens get in serious accidents while texting and driving yet teens still insist it won’t be them. However 400 million people participated in the Multi Millions lottery and everyone insists that there’s a chance they could win.”

Charlie Takesian, a Junior from Triton High School, almost got into a car accident that he never thought he’d get into. Telling his story, Takesian said, “ We were driving in Groveland. We were going back to my friends house and he was on his phone, and I was in the back seat. Then, he started swerving into the other lane and he almost hit another car head on.”

Like many people Takesian didn’t think he would be exposed to that type of situation. But like Callewaert said, anybody can be subjected to the kind of situation.