Chilling last text sent by teenage driver seconds before she died in 80mph crash

[Dave_Berry]

"Taylor Sauer, a teenager who was texting every 90 seconds during her four-hour commute from Utah State University to her parents’ home on January 14, made a fatal mistake while behind the wheel.

Her prolific last text was ‘Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha.’ Seconds later, she slammed into a tanker truck at 80mph.

Now, Ms Sauer’s grieving parents are hoping to use their daughter’s tragic story as a way to change driving laws, and make texting while driving in Idaho illegal."

What is it that compels young people to be in constant communication with friends, regardless of where they are or what they're doing?

'Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha' Parents whose daughter's text predicted fatal mistake now seeking to change driving laws | Mail Online

[vlines]

thank you for sharing.

[ellemenope]

Yikes! You wouldn't think you'd have to make texting while driving illegal--people should not do it because it is so obviously dangerous. But for some, the threat of a ticket keeps them for temptation. I feel for the family...she was a really cute kid.

[TatinG]

Talking on a hand held cell phone and texting are illegal in California, but I see about one in ten drivers still doing it. I've even seen people reading Kindles while driving. It's nuts.

[emeraldkity4]

Very sad.
I took risky chances when I was a teenager that make me shudder now. Granted I lived in a small suburb with little traffic & didn't drive far( or on the freeway) - but still...
Things like having to hold my eye open with one hand so I could see to drive after my contacts were stuck to my eyes after being out all night.

Now I rarely even listen to the radio because it is too distracting.

[paying3tuitions]

OP asks what compels young people. That's a good question and the right verb.

I think teens want above all to "belong." They can't abide knowing there's a conversation somewhere and they're not in on it. If a party is brewing, or drama, they want to know. The smallest interactions between two close friends feel as if it's an EmergencyCatastropheAmazingNews, so can't wait.

Mature teens can discipline themselves enough to turn off their cells completely before driving. Otherwise, it beeps and they, too, can get sucked into answering. (Sometimes it's a parent, so we might think about that.) After that, they're involved with every conversation and can't disengage.

It'd be interesting to know how many times the teen initiates the first text from the car, as compared to being hailed by a friend and then joins in.

As for adults, there's no possible excuse there.

[MD Mom]

Texting and/or talking while driving are illegal in Maryland. Unfortunately, it took a tragic accident here with surviving parents who fought the fight to get our laws changed. Only the person texting was an adult truckdriver with a CDL.

[Nrdsb4]

I've seen shows on Oprah and Dr. Phil about texting and driving. EVERY single person on these shows who do it believe in their hearts that "they can handle it. I'm a good driver. I've never had a problem. I can text with my eyes completely on the road."

Denial is a powerful thing.

[jym626]

Thats horrible. I believe the parents were recently on the Today Show.

[bovertine]

Her prolific last text was ‘Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha.’

Don't they mean "prophetic" last text? Not that it matters. Sad, eerie story all around.

[bluebayou]

Originally Posted by tatinG

Talking on a hand held cell phone and texting are illegal in California, but I see about one in ten drivers still doing it.

Yes it is illegal in California. But IMO, the illegal use is much higher than one in ten (10%). No one takes the law seriously in this state. Not sure it would be any different in Utah even if they had a law.

[pugmadkate]

AT&T Don't Text While Driving Documentary - YouTube

I think this should be required viewing by all drivers.

[lakehaus]

Thank you for sharing this link.

[Peachy267]

We are supposed to be "hands-free" in NY also, but the number of people who use hand-held phones while driving is still way up there. Used to be if you saw a car weaving in and out of the lane lines, you thought they were DUI. Not so much anymore, as most of the time they are either talking or texting on the phone. And from what I can see, it isn't just the teens who are texting. Last week hubby and I were travelling on a fairly fast-paced "turnpike" in our area. As we were pulling past the woman next to us, (mid-thirties) whose car was weaving in and out of our lane, I noticed she had placed both hands through the opening of the steering wheel and she was attempting to steer the car with her wrists while texting on her cell phone! We were travelling about 40 miles per hour on some stretches of this road and OCASSIONALLY she would look up from what she was doing to check the traffic in front of her. To make matters worse, strapped into car seats in the back seat of her car were 2 children of perhaps 18 months to 3 years of age! I said a prayer for those kids as we drove past.

[Snowdog]

^ I like to lay on the horn as I'm passing those people and scare the crap out of them. It is a menace and it's not just teens.