State Farm Awards Grant For Tulsa Texting And Driving Education Effort

By Tara Vreeland, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- In an effort to encourage Tulsa teens to not drive and text, the State Farm Youth Advisory Board awarded a check to the Tulsa Crime Commission to oversee an education program, Generation tXt.

During an assembly Monday morning at Booker T. Washington High School, State Farm presented a check for $35,453 to the Crime Commission.

The Tulsa program was one of 1,100 proposals submitted to the State Farm Advisory Board.

In a news release, the Crime Commission will use the grant to fund a project designed by a diverse group of teens from Booker T. to become safer drivers, specifically by addressing the hazards of texting/e-mailing while driving.

Generation tXt will focus on educating 8th and 9th grade students through educational forums, videos, driving simulators and educational curriculum.

The teens who make up Generation tXt say research shows that the risk of crashing is 23 times higher if someone is texting. Twenty-one percent of deadly crashes in 16 to 19-year-old drivers were because of the use of a cell phone.

"They think that there's nothing wrong with it to be honest. They say that ‘it's not something that would happen to me. I'm a good driver I can handle it.' And the truth is, no one can really handle it," said Glade Inhofe of Generation tXt.

Teens are the most experienced at texting, yet they are the most inexperienced drivers -- a hazardous combination.

"They've recognized that teen driver texting and distractions are the number one killer of teenagers while they are behind the wheel," said John Wiscaver, of State Farm Insurance.

Which is what prompted the new program for teens, by teens.

"That's kind of what we're hoping, is that since it's a group of teens, it will have more affect than if parent like figures were like ‘well you shouldn't text and drive,'" said Elena Beene of Generation tXt.

"We don't feel like we can change current attitudes. It's a highly addictive behavior. We'd like everyone to hear about it and like everyone to change their attitudes, but we really think it will be easier to change 8th and 9th graders' views," said Inhofe.

The teens say they are ex-intexticater's and that they are eager to alert the next generation before they hit the road and hit the keys.

"We can make a difference and have a say in what goes on in peoples' cars and saving lives hopefully," said Beene.