Garner High School student sends warning about distracted driving

GARNER, N.C. (WTVD) -- Garner High School junior Christina Williams hasn't started driving just yet, but she knows the dangers she's going to face on the road when she does.

"I'm fearful of other people," she said. "I see on the road they don't know how to drive."

One of the biggest challenges for teenage drivers just starting or just drivers, in general, is distracted driving.

Williams has put together two public safety announcements to warn people her age about the dangers of it. She even enlisted the help of law enforcement in her latest announcement, which coincides with a news conference from lawmakers this week about "Hands-Free NC." The bi-partisan bill seeks to make it illegal for folks to hold their phones altogether while driving.

"I'm trying to get people to understand that your phone is not that important," Williams said. "If it's important, then you have to pull over, especially the folks in my generation. They have to understand that your lives matter and other people's lives matter and you gotta remember you can't risk your life over just one text."

NCDOT said in 2018 there were more than 120 fatalities as a result of distracted driving. The first PSA is of Williams sitting in a jail cell, showing the consequences of distracted driving.

"I'm proud of her for even taking the initiative to focus on that," said Tonya Williams, Christina's mother. "As an adult and as a parent, I'm very concerned because going down the road, I see a lot of people texting. It's a different generation. We didn't have all these distractions when I was growing up and I got my license so it is a huge concern for me. I think she really cares about the community. I think she cares about her age bracket."