Texting while driving poses a serious, sometimes deadly distraction for even the most seasoned drivers. For teenage drivers, who don’t have years of practice or training, texting when they’re supposed to be focused on the road is an express ticket to danger.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting while driving is now the cause of more deadly vehicle collisions than drunk driving. And they expect those numbers to increase. In fact, recently a report on driving trends among teenagers showed that the number of teenage drivers killed behind the wheel rose last year for the first time in a decade. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has continued to list vehicle collisions as the leading cause of death for teenagers.

To help counter these trends, the New York State Police has recruited a new form of technology to help them educate teen drivers about the dangers of texting behind the wheel. the new technology comes in the form of a driving simulator which recreates the experience of driving without actually letting the teen drive any where. While they sit behind the wheel of a simulated vehicle, the teens attempt to send and receive text messages. usually it only takes a minute for them to realize just how dangerous an activity that is.

In New York, drivers caught texting behind the wheel face a $150 fine and get three points added to their driver’s license.

The New York State Police have been using the texting while driving simulator for the past few years and they say the impact they see it having on teenagers is tremendous.