Texting while driving is a huge epidemic that is killing thousands of people yearly, with teens most affected. Texting while driving leads to distraction behind the wheel. The risk of crashing increases by 23 times because reading or sending a text causes drivers to take their eyes off the road. The average amount of time it takes drivers to text and look away from the road is 4.6 seconds. Although, talking on the phone while driving is also distracting, texting is much more dangerous. Texting has become a social norm. Nearly everyone does it, whether it is with their iPhone, Blackberry or some other device. The International Telecommunication Union states that “texting, making calls, and other interaction with in-vehicle information and communication systems while driving is a serious source of driver distraction and increases the risk of traffic accidents.” Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Greg Kellerman, who has worked with traffic for 21 years, said, “Twenty-three percent of all accidents involve a phone. That is 1.3 million crashes.” Kellerman and retired Major Jim Sohan, a 23-year member of the police department, agreed that texting is much worse than talking on the phone and that it is a huge problem. When asked if eating, using a GPS, or playing with the radio is as bad as texting while driving, Kellerman said, “They are all bad but not as bad texting.” While Kellerman and Sohan say that drinking and driving is worse than texting, Car and Driver magazine points out that reaction time for drivers who are texting is even worse than for those drivers impaired by alcohol. Sohan said it’s difficult for today’s teens to break the texting habit when they’re driving “because they were brought up texting.” Many states have passed laws that ban texting while driving. Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 39 states, including Kentucky. AT&T has taken action by creating the campaign ad slogan “Texting & Driving … It Can Wait,” and popular talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear are among celebrities and politicians who have spoken against texting while driving. Trinity students expressed various views about texting while driving: Senior Tomas Garza said, “I believe that if people were smart about texting while driving it wouldn’t be a problem. Obviously, if you are on a windy road, you shouldn’t be texting.” Senior Noah Karman said, “I don’t think people shouldn’t do it, but I think people make it out to be a lot worse than it actually is.” “I believe people should put away and turn off their phones when they are in the car,” junior Matthew Condon said, “because texting while driving is a problem, and it is best to just take away the temptation.” Despite efforts to fight it, texting and driving while operating a motor vehicle is still on the rise. Like us on facebook.com/trinityecho