Imagine this with me for a moment: You have just woken up in a bright, stark white room that you do not recognize. Something feels off, and when you look down you realize that there is a nub where your right leg once was. You start to cry because you don’t know where you are or what is going on. You start to panic and after a few minutes a doctor comes in and explains that you were in an accident. You start to ask questions but before you get any answers the medicine the doctor gave you knocks you out again.

You wake up a second time and briefly remember the previous conversation. The local news is playing on the TV in the corner and something the newscaster says catches your attention. A teenager was driving to a friend’s house when they texted their friend to let them know they were on their way. When they were looking down they hit another car, killing two adults and leaving a six year old girl orphaned. You are disgusted and wonder what person could have done such a thing. Then your mom comes in and tells you that it was you. You have a brief flash of a scene scattered with ambulances and punctuated by heart wrenching sobs, and you realize that you are the one who ruined this little girl’s life.

Of course this is hypothetical, but it could happen. I will never understand nor condone texting and driving. In my opinion, people who text and drive are incredibly arrogant. They assume that what they have to say is more important than someone else’s life. When you glance down to send that text, you are making the decision to risk killing someone in order to say something that probably doesn’t even matter. I understand that you don’t really want to kill someone. You would never intentionally take someone’s life, but every time you look away from the road you are saying that you are ok with killing someone.

The problem with teenagers is that we assume that it would never happen to us, that it’s just something adults say to scare us. They are not lying; things like this really do happen. In 2009, texting behind the wheel resulted in 5,474 deaths and nearly 500,000 injuries.

I understand that you have “stuff to say,” but what is more important than someone’s life? Ask anyone who has lost a father, mother, sibling, or friend and they will tell you absolutely nothing. If there is something that absolutely can not wait, pull over or wait until you get to a red light and call the person you need to contact.

When I was working half an hour away and coming home late my mom had me text her before I left. Naturally I forgot sometimes so I would call her as soon as it was safe. She never once got mad at me for being responsible.

You could probably have an entire conversation without incident, but that doesn’t make it ok. Even if you have texted behind the wheel all of your life and have never once been in an accident, you are still guilty. You still assume that your abbreviated words are more important than a father never seeing his daughter again.

I know that some of you can not drive yet, but this still applies to you. If you’re in the car with a friend and see them texting but don’t say anything, you’re just as guilty. Don’t be afraid to tell them to stop. I’ve told my friends to several times and so far none of them have ever gotten angry at me.

I know that you probably think this is just someone ranting on their personal beliefs, but please take this seriously. I beg you, next time you’re about to send a text while driving stop and think: is this really worth the risk? And it is a big risk. Your chance of having an accident is multiplied by 23 whenever you text. Whether you think so or not, I can promise you that you’re not that important. No one is so important that their words are worth killing for.