Many teenagers associate driving with getting a newfound freedom: being able to go wherever you want whenever you want and not having to ask your parents to drive you everywhere.

Teens also love texting—It’s quicker than calling and emailing, and people can keep in contact with each other more easily. However, put these two together, and you have a very dangerous and deadly combination.

Studies have shown that a quarter of teens respond to a text message once or more every time they drive, and 20% of teens and 10% of parents admit that they have extended, multi-message text conversations while driving.

When you receive a text message, there are many points and times when you are on the phone and not looking at the road, making a crash 23 times more likely to happen.

Think what would happen if you were driving, but have someone with you when you are texting and driving; not only are you putting yourself in danger, but you’re also endangering the lives of everyone else in the car with and around you.

Even if you look at your phone for five seconds, you have already traveled the length of a football field, and even talking on a cell phone can make a young driver’s reaction time as slow as a typical 70 year old.

So the next time you are driving and your phone shows that you’ve got a text, remember that it can always wait, because no life is ever worth a text message.