Simulator Drives Home Dangers Of Texting Behind Wheel - FOX 35 News Orlando

Driving, texting and crashing is what AT&T wants high schoolers to experience – in a safe environment, of course.

The telecommunications company set up a car simulator at a school in California this week to teach kids the negative effects of texting while driving.

It was a part of their "it can wait" campaign.

Most were only able to send a few texts before crashing, FOX'S Zohreen Adamjee reported.

"You could lose your life faster than you know by looking at the text," one student said.

AT&T safety representative Tim Ray shared a few words of wisdom with the kids.

Several students said they had texted while behind the wheel. But nearly all of them said they had seen a family member text while driving.

Ray say there's a correlation between kids who text while driving and those who've seen a family member do it.

Ray also said to think about who you're texting.

"It's not just about if they're in a safe place, but they should be thinking about who's on the receiving end," Ray said.

Even though it only takes about five seconds to send many texts, Ray warns it's more dangerous than you'd think.

"When you're going 55 miles an hour, that's the length of a football field," Ray said.