TXT messaging & driving? TTYL!

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Don't text and drive.

Parents say it all the time  -- but the truth is, unsupervised teen drivers can do just about anything they want behind the wheel when parents are not around.

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reveals drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident while texting and driving.

That doesn't seem to faze a lot of drivers.

But maybe a new documentary could help begin to turn the tide.

Wireless provider AT&T is distributing a free documentary featuring families affected by texting behind the wheel. Eight of the individuals included in the 10-minute presentation volunteered their stories to help the company educate wireless customers – particularly youth – on the risks of tapping away on their cell phones in the car.

The documentary can be viewed online at no charge.

“This documentary is a raw look at the reality and hazards of texting while driving, and we hope it will make wireless customers think twice before pulling out their cell phones in the driver’s seat,” said Cathy Coughlin, senior executive vice president and global marketing officer for AT&T.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic, particularly among teens who are confident in their ability to text or talk while driving,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Of the 5,500 people killed in 2009 due to distracted driving, the largest proportion of fatalities occurred among young people under the age of 20.”

On a local level teenagers are spreading the message to their peers.

Several McNeil High School students shared their first-hand stories about texting at the wheel.
They’ve even produced their own video, reaching out to local driving schools, and to anyone who will listen.

"I really think it means a lot when teenagers hear it from other teenagers," said Katie Snodgrass, a senior at McNeil High School in Round Rock.

Some students believe the texting habit can border on being an addiction.

“Yeah, you can't help but look. It's like candy,” said Kelsey Richard, a student at McNeil. “You stare at it. You want to stare at it. And then it keeps happening. You do it once. They're going to reply. You're going do it again. They're going to reply again."

AT&T is hoping the true stories of loss in their documentary will spur drivers to pause and think about the consequences.

Click here to watch the video.