By Leslie Collins
Northeast News

Texting and driving is like vinegar and water. They don’t mix.

Five Northeast High School seniors understand that deadly combination and have pledged not to text and drive.

Through their efforts, they helped NEHS win two first places in the Teens Against Distracted Driving (TADD) campaign, sponsored by the Roswold Foundation for Injured Children and Roswold Law Group.

Four high schools participated in the campaign aimed at juniors and seniors and included Northeast, Central, Southwest and East.

Northeast collected the highest number of pledges – nearly 40 percent – earning the school 500 silicone bracelets imprinted with “I PLDG 2 NT TXT N DRV.”

NEHS seniors Aida Silva, Trang Nguyen, Ta’Ron Carson, Angel Carmona and April Deleon encouraged their classmates to pledge and produced a video warning their classmates and community about the dangers of texting and driving. Their video placed first and earned the senior class $250 and additional silicone bracelets.

“When I found out we won, I was screaming. I was really happy,” Nguyen said, who edited the video. “I was like, ‘Take that suburban schools!’”

Brigette Nicholson, a social worker in the Students Supporting Community Services office, told NEHS about Roswald’s TADD contest and made a presentation to the school’s Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

“I talked with them about driving being a privilege and that it’s not to be taken lightly – it’s a responsibility,” Nicholson said. “The under 20 age group has the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes, which is 16 percent. The age group with the next highest proportion of distracted drivers was the 20 to 29 age group, 12 percent.”

Texting and driving reduces a driver’s attention and is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol count of .08 percent or worse, she said.

“I hate to admit it, but we all know it’s wrong to text while driving,” Carson said. “It only takes one second to look down and back up and a car be right in front of you or a pedestrian or a dog – just to get the location of a party.”

Carson said he and the other four seniors wanted to produce a video to create awareness about the consequences of texting and driving.

“We all jumped in,” Silva said of making the video. “We thought it’d be for a good cause. We just went with it and it worked.”

After brainstorming, the group chose a scenario for their video.

“We narrowed it down to what would have the biggest impact,” Carson said. “We wanted to do something modern and up-to-date for kids these days.”

The scenario, he explained, is three friends driving to a party (Carmona, Deleon and Carson) and the driver texts a friend for the location. While texting, the driver (Carmona) hits a pedestrian (Silva) and is arrested.

For further emphasis, Nguyen narrated the end of the video with, “Is your text message really worth it? Ask yourself that,” while Carmona sits in the police car.

“The message came across very strong to our Vikings,” Carson said.

NEHS Principal Marshall Peeples agreed.

“These students really did step up as young citizens and thoughtfully reached out to their peers on an issue that impacts them severely,” Peeples said. “They did it with great creativity and informed while entertaining rather than taking on a mere didactic tone, which would not have worked with their audience.”

Texting law takes effect in Missouri

Student Resource Officer Jamie Walk said Missouri recently passed a law making it illegal for anyone 21 years old and younger to text and drive.

“I definitely think it’s hazardous,” Walk said of texting and driving. “There’s been times when I texted and drove and almost ran into somebody. It’s just too many things going on in your head to process.

“Even as an adult who’s been driving 20 plus years, it’s hard to do it (text and drive). So, I can only imagine a kid who’s texting and driving.

“So, it’s worth just waiting to get wherever you’re going and then send the text.”

Carson called the law “double-standard” and Silva agreed.

“Regardless if you’re 17 or 40, you’re attention is not on the road if you’re texting,” Silva said.

Carmona added he recently witnessed a woman wreck because of her cell phone.

“The other day I was driving from work and this lady was on her phone and she just randomly hit a pole,” Carmona said. “It was pretty wild.”

Carmona, who used to text and drive, said it’s not worth it.

Asked how it feels to have won in both categories of the TADD campaign, Carson said, “Our school hasn’t been the best, so for us to win something, it kinda boosted up our pride, especially for us as seniors. We left a mark here, so whoever comes next can leave a better mark.”

“This can save a life,” Silva added. “We won a competition, but it can save someone’s life someday.”

Check out their video on our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X109NZOjOj0