People of all ages do it no matter how much they know they shouldn’t: texting while driving. And for teenagers, who already have some of the highest crash numbers and are often big users of technology, the consequences can be dire.
The Houston law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend is bringing attention to Distracted Driving Awareness Month by sponsoring its fourth annual Text Free Texas Scholarship Contest. The team of personal injury attorneys said it aims to encourage teens to not text while driving because they “have seen the devastating consequences of distracted driving all too often,” referring to serious and fatal accidents frequently caused by using cellphones in the car. “Teens are particularly at risk for such accidents, as close to half of all high school students 16 years or older in the United Sates text or email while driving.”
Sophomore, junior, and senior students at DeBakey High School for Health Professionals, Energy Institute High School, Houston Academy for International Studies, and the Jones Futures Academy in the Houston area are eligible to enter the contest by posting the following information on the Abraham Watkins’s Facebook page or Google+ page:
- A 250-word (or less) pledge explaining why you resist the urge to text while behind the wheel.
- Your name.
- Your high school.
- Your grade.
- The hashtag #TxtFreeTX.
In the first week of May, Abraham Watkins will select the top four entries (one from each school), and the winners will each receive a $250 scholarship.
For more information, go to textfreetexas.com.