Multitasking while driving, all of us do it. Girls are applying make-up and guys messing with their stereo at the wheel. When people engage in multitasking, they lose the ability to focus on the road and monitor their driving. Today, teenagers are dealing with another technology related distraction in the car: texting.

Currently, texting while driving is legal, even though the researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake, who have studied cell phone and motorist safety for seven years, found it increases the likelihood of being in an accident. One of their studies showed16-24 year olds who text while driving are six times more likely to get into a crash. Their studies also show the patterns of the driver are changed: Texing at the wheel cause a driver’s response to breaking at an appropriate time 23% (1.077 seconds) slower. Next, it distracts from the visual environment of the driver such as recognition between a red brake light and a red stoplight. The National Safety Council (NSC) declares texting is the single worst activity someone can do while driving. Some are going so far to say accidents caused from cell phones will overtake the number of accidents caused from drinking and drugs (in the age group from 16-24 year olds). Their motto is: NO TEXTING is now the new NO SMOKING.

Not only is texting at the wheel dangerous to every occupant in the car, but also hazardous to pedestrians and other divers. Reports and stories have been pouring in which deadly car crashes, injuries and even have been the result of people texting. It is proven that 6% of all car crashes are cell phone related which equals to 330,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths per year. Every other day a new story about a teen texting at the wheel is heard to have caused another injury or death.

As word spreads about this dangerous epidemic, some are taking a stand against it. One such individual is the national TV star, Oprah Winfrey. She is a beginning a new campaign against texting at the wheel in which she states, “Texting while driving is absolutely stupid!” Even though this is not the most formal way to express her feelings, it certainly gets the message across. In her last year on television, Winfrey plans to dedicate her show to the people who have lost loved ones to texting related accidents. In the second week of January, Winfrey had a guest on the show, a young, teenage girl, who admitted that her texting at the wheel caused the car accident she was recently in. The young girl was physically hurt as well as emotional for she had hit and killed a pedestrian. The girl wept throughout the whole show and begged for remorse.

As Winfrey’s campaign is taking off, the NSC is pushing all the states to set a law against texting at the wheel. The law against texting may end up being a national law soon if the rate of accidents keeps growing. Some states have already taken precautions against texting at the wheel. Just after Winfrey announced her campaign, Illinois became the 19th state of making texting illegal while driving. Chicago has banned the practice since 2008. However there is already a federal law set in stone declaring commercial truck and bus drivers cannot text while driving. If a truck or bus driver is seen texting at the wheel, not only are they breaking federal law and causing danger to anyone who comes to close, they might face a fine up to $2750 and some jail time.

As a high school, we have many young drivers coming, going and texting. One such student, Kelly Carson, senior, confesses to texting while driving. “I send about 250 text messages during a school day and about 65% are sent while I’m driving.” When asked what her parents think about this issue, Carson says, “My parents really do not like the fact of my texting while driving. Actually, my mom tells me a teenage driver getting in an accident every other day because they were texting. It gets real annoying.”

It’s not just one student, however, texting at the wheel; it’s the greater majority of students with cars. Perhaps if the rate of car accidents keeps growing due to cell phones, NSC will have to take matters into their own hands and create a federal law to prevent future accidents.