Edinburg Teens Learn About the Risks of Texting and Driving

Four seniors from Edinburg North High School are creating a documentary on texting and driving and how it affects people.  
 
The teens say that they’ve learned a lot.  For instance, for every text message sent, the driver has his eyes off the road for about five seconds.  Senior Valeria Rodriguez extrapolated, "…for every hour, that's about five minutes with your eyes closed.” She found this statistic scary. The teens also learned that driving while texting is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated.
 
Several of the teens admitted that had texted while driving before the project, but the experience had convinced them to stop.  The students hope their school project will alert other teens to the dangers of texting while driving.
 
In 2009, 5,474 Americans were killed and an additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle accidents that involved distracted driving.  In 2009, 995 distracted driving deaths involved a driver who was using a cell phone either for texting or conversation. Twenty-two percent of drivers in fatal crashes who are distracted by cell phones are under age 20.  
 
The Brownsville car crash attorneys at The Cowen Law Group see the results of distracted driving first hand.  We help accident victims get the insurance compensation they need to move on with their lives. If you have been injured in a South Texas car wreck and need help, contact The Cowen Law Group at 877-385-1282.