A news story reveals that one in four accidents are caused by the use of cell phone while driving. Not only does texting while driving continue to be a problem among commuters, but commercial drivers are a growing hazard to the health and safety of everyone.

Drivers using cellphones fail to see up to 50% of the information in their environment, says David Teater, senior director at the NSC. And the risk of getting in crashes from texting is getting worse, he says. Texting is increasing in popularity inside and outside of the driver’s seat: One in three Americans favors texting over calling, according to a 2011 study by Pew Research Center, and Americans send an average of 41 texts a day (with those ages 19 to 25 sending an average of 110 texts a day).

The number of drivers texting or manipulating their devices increased from 0.9% in 2010 to 1.3% in 2011, while driver hand-held cellphone use remained steady at 5%, according to a survey carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. One possible reason: Lack of enforcement. Drunken driving carries heavy fines and jail time, says Justin McNaull, director of state relations for AAA, but cellphone violations are treated more leniently. “Drivers know in their hearts and their heads that it isn’t the best idea,” he says, “but the odds of getting a ticket remain quite low.”

Despite the low enforcement, texting while driving remains one of the top causes of accidents for teen drivers.

In 2009, Vancouver man Antonio Celestine made national headlines when he struck his own math teacher, Gordon Patterson, who was riding a bike. Celestine was texting when he struck Patterson at considerable speed. The case gained national notoriety as a powerful reminder of the tragic consequences of distracted driving.

Now, just two months after finishing a three year sentence for manslaughter, Celestine has been arrested for more driving charges — driving without a license, attempting to elude, and taking a vehicle without permission. From The Republic:

Cellestine’s history wasn’t mentioned at the hearing. But its echoes still resonate in this southwest Washington city of 160,000. The Gordon Patterson Memorial Bike Ride has been celebrated for three years, and the high school where Patterson helped Cellestine graduate has a section informally referred to as the “Patterson wing.”

Before the crash, Cellestine and Patterson made an odd duo, one a failing student with a sizeable juvenile record, the other a beloved math and design teacher who taught church classes under the alias “Gordon the Science Warden.”

Cellestine had convictions for drugs, burglary and fourth-degree assault, and spent nearly a year in a juvenile detention center. Once free, he struggled to adjust to high school. But Cellestine credited Patterson with helping him pull through.

“If it wasn’t for Mr. Patterson,” Cellestine said at his sentencing in 2010, “I would never have finished my senior paper and graduated.”

In September 2009, Cellestine was 18 and finished with school. Patterson had finished class and, as he urged others to do, commuted home by bicycle. He’d had a scare a year before, his friend Sherine West told The Columbian newspaper in 2010, when a car struck him on St. Johns Road on his way home.

This time, Patterson was headed north on the same street when Cellestine happened to be driving behind him. Patterson was hit with such force that a police sergeant would later testify to collecting pieces of Patterson’s helmet from the street.

This tragedy is a powerful reminder of the danger texting and driving poses for society — driver and victims. The penalties for texting and driving have been increasing, with hefty fines, jail time, and revocation of driving privileges on the horizon. Additionally, as more bicyclists join the road, texting and driving is becoming an even greater public health hazard.

In addition to not texting and driving, students can be a vital part of the movement to end distracted driving. Get involved in your school or community.

Dylan Martin, the young Florida State race driver making a name for himself on the local and national scenes, was profiled in the latest issue of Inside Polk. Among his career highlights and personal story of becoming involved in racing, he gives a big shout-out to Teens Against Distracted Driving. Thanks, Dylan! From the article:

In tandem with having an influence on youngsters at the track, there are some special kids far from the track that also get Dylan’s attention. The young driver is a spokesperson for T.A.D.D. (Teens Against Distracted Driving), and he regularly speaks to kids about the dangers of texting and other negative behaviors while behind the wheel. This year he will speak at over 75 schools and hospitals, hoping to have a positive effect on kids and encouraging them to fasten their seatbelts in the car and wear helmets when on a bike.

“I’m not just a spokesman or a driver; if I can do this, they can, too,” Dylan said.

Read the full article on Inside Polk Magazine.