Awareness effort under way as young motorists admit texting, talking on cell phones while they drive

ST&D.

That message ? stop texting and driving ? is at the heart of state and national campaigns to bring awareness to laws governing the use of cell phones while behind the wheel.

The efforts coincide with the release of a new poll, which found that 63 percent of teens and young adults acknowledge driving while using a cell phone, and 30 percent say they have sent text messages while driving.

"Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America's roads, and teens are especially vulnerable because of their inexperience behind the wheel and, often, peer pressure," Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said.

California is marking Teen Safe Driving Week, with the CHP holding a series of school visits to raise awareness that young drivers need to focus on the road. Enforcement patrols also are planned.

"When they get behind the wheel of a vehicle, their chances of dying are four times greater than an adult," said Erin Komatsubara, a spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol.

Texting and talking on a cell phone without a headset are illegal in California, and drivers younger than 18 are prohibited from talking on cell phones altogether.

Last year, CHP officers cited 145,730 motorists for violating the cell-phone law and 3,328 motorists for texting while driving.

Drivers in Southern California were the biggest

offenders, with 47,720 cited for cell phone violations and 1,527 for breaking the texting law.

"That doesn't reflect the number (of drivers) out there who are doing it - just the number who were written citations," said CHP spokeswoman Jaime Coffee.

Those numbers, however, do not distinguish violators by age.

But other statistics do underscore the dangers posed by teen drivers.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Consumer Reports, which conducted the cell-phone survey, also cites teens as being involved in three times more fatal crashes as other drivers.

Between 2005 and 2008, California motorists ages 15 to 19 were involved in more than 20,000 crashes in which distracted driving was a factor. According to the CHP, 41 percent of those collisions resulted in injury or death.

Officials caution that routine activities for teenagers like text messaging, talking on a cell phone, playing with the car stereo or even eating are potentially deadly when done while operating a vehicle.

"Teenagers tend to think they're invincible and can multitask while driving," CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. "In reality, they're inexperienced when it comes to driving and they need to recognize the responsibility and the risks associated with the privilege."

On Monday, an 18-year-old who would identify herself only as Ellen drove along Vanowen Street in Canoga Park talking on her cell phone as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Parked later at the Westfield Topanga mall, she was unapologetic.

"I'm a careful driver," she said, "and I wasn't texting," she said.

She seemed mystified when told that even using the cell phone without a headset was against the law.

"Well, cops have never stopped me," she said. "Everyone does it. They'd have to stop half the drivers around."

According to the United States Department of Transportation, nearly 5,500 motorists were killed and almost a half-million were injured in 2009 in crashes related to distracted driving.

Eighteen percent of those fatal crashes involved the use of a cell phone, federal officials said.

Federal officials have also released the latest video in the "Faces of Distracted Driving" series on the DOT website and the agency's YouTube channel. It features Miss South Dakota, Loren Vaillancourt, whose brother was killed by a distracted driver in 2009.

A free guide on distracted driving for parents and educators is available on the Transportation Department's distracted driving website, distraction.gov.

The DOT and Consumer Reports are sending a public service announcement to television outlets, and the guide will be highlighted in a Consumer Reports video to air in retail stores in April.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cheryl Burke Marisa Tomei Padma Lakshmi Carmen Electra America Ferrera