By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

The new law banning texting while driving that took effect Thursday in Michigan may affect technology-crazed teenagers more than anyone, which is exactly why Kim Martazita, owner of Marazita Driving School in Niles, wanted to show some local teens the importance of the law.

Rather than just warning the group of about a dozen teens about the dangers of texting and driving, she had them experience it firsthand. Marazita set up a small driving range in the parking lot of Brandywine High School on Thursday and had them drive golf carts on the course, once while texting and another time free from distraction.

Ryan Jerdon, a 17-year-old student at Brandywine High School, made it through the course fine the first time while not texting.

The second time was a different story. He drove off the course and completely missed a loop outlined by orange cones.

“I was too busy texting,” he said. “I totally forgot about it. It’s hard. I thought it would have been a lot easier.”

Jerdon said he never texts while driving but admits that his friends do “all the time.”
“I’m probably the only kid ever who can’t text,” he said.

Joe Vaughn, a 19-year-old Brandywine grad, peeled through the last turn of the course while finishing his text, causing the tires to screech and almost flipping the cart.

He said he was able to punch out two texts in finishing the course in less than one minute.
Vaughn admits to texting while driving every day and doesn’t think he is a danger on the road. He says the law probably won’t cause him to quit his electronic communication on the roadways either.

“I mean, they got a point. It could kill people,” he said. “But for me, I don’t like it.”
Jerdon disagrees and thinks it’s a good law.

“It’s safer for people,” he said. “People are getting hurt. It’s going to make Michigan much safer.”

Brittany McBain, another teenager driving the course, found that she actually drove faster while texting.

“I was just distracted,” she said. “But besides the sharp turns, I did pretty good.”

Marazita said she noticed that the teens drove considerably faster while texting and took wider turns off the course.

“Hopefully this will at least make them think,” she said.

Before the students took to the course, Marazita gave a presentation about the dangers of texting and driving. She showed photos of cars completely wrecked and people horribly injured in accidents caused by distracted driving.

Marazita cited a study that reported in 2008, more than 6,000 were killed in accidents while someone was texting or talking on cell phones. She also said people who text while driving are 23 percent more likely to be in an accident.

The purpose of the event was to bring community awareness to the driving and texting law and its importance, according to Marazita.

The law bans typing, sending or reading text messages and e-mails on mobile devices. The first offense could result in a $100 fine with $200 fines for each subsequent offense.
“Even if one person or a group of kids think about it, isn’t that wonderful?,” she said. “We thought about using the drunk goggles too, but we thought we would save that for another time.”