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Teens Admit Texting While Driving is ‘Impossible’ (Video)

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Texting and driving is a major problem for teens and adults. The temptation to fire off a fast text or check an incoming message while behind the wheel is too much for many to ignore.

We’ve seen gruesome anti-texting while driving ad campaigns and somber anti-texting ads before, but a new campaign from a Belgian advocacy group takes a different approach — telling teens they have to text and drive to pass their driving test.

Surprisingly, when instructors force teens to text and drive the teens fail horribly and admit that it is ‘impossible’ to text and drive. Watch the damage as teens try to text and drive while taking a driving test after being told that they must show skill in texting behind the wheel before they can take to the streets.

In the video students crash into cones as the instructor says, “Imagine that’s a child.”, and students can barely keep their cars on the road as they text simple messages like “I’ll be back tonight.”, “I will get French fries.” and “We’ll be a bit late.”

At one point the instructor criticizes the spelling of “scool” as a driver struggles to focus on driving and texting. Shortly after, the instructor ends up almost flying through the window, just like an unrestrained teen passenger might.

Texting while driving PSA

Teens admit texting while driving is impossible after forced texting while driving test.

Even these short messages were enough to send students into cones and if they were on the road, oncoming traffic. Texting while driving isn’t a problem that only plagues teens, many adults text while driving and end up in accidents as well. Many states and local municipalities have passed laws banning talking while driving and texting while driving. Some cities ban any electronic device usage by teen drivers in an attempt to save lives.

In addition to texting while driving, a recent study found that there’s an increased danger from App’ing while driving. 10 percent of survey respondents admit to using apps every time they drive.

While there are many apps to limit phone use and texting while driving, education and self-control are the best ways to save lives needlessly lost from texting while driving.

If you can commit to not texting while driving, sign one of the many no texting while driving pledges and share this advice with friends and family.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Erik Wood

    05/05/2012 at 11:55 am

    I think this approach by the driving school in Belgium will help these young drivers get the message. It has to start with the end user, the driver…deciding not to partake in distracted driving and this will help drive that message home.

    I also decided to do something about teen (and adult) distracted driving after my three year old daughter was nearly run down right in front of me by a texting driver. Instead of a shackle that locks down phones and alienates the user (especially teens) I built a tool for teens and their parents called OTTER that is a simple, GPS based, texting auto reply app for smartphones. It also silences call ringtones while driving unless you have a bluetooth enabled. I think if we can empower the individual then change will come to our highways now and not just our laws.

    Erik Wood, owner
    OTTER app
    do one thing well… be great.

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