Miss Illinois talks distracted driving

ABINGDON - Hannah Smith waited for the assembly inside Abingdon High School's auditorium to begin wearing a sparkling tiara and silk sash.

But the 20-year-old wasn't in the school April 26 to show off the trappings of being reigning Miss Illinois. Smith was there to deliver a message about the dangers of distracted driving.

The Abingdon High School Student Council and adviser Cindy Arthur invited Smith to speak on the eve of the start of prom activities. Today, the school will host a number of activities to further raise students' awareness of the dangers of driving while texting, talking on a cellphone, not wearing a seat belt and driving under the influence.

Cierra Moshier, a senior and president of the student council, overcame a wicked case of hiccups and introduced Smith. Moshier said all of the students she knows have texted while driving.

"It's something a lot of kids don't think about and it's something a lot of kids think is OK to do as long as you're quick about it," Moshier said. "And we are trying to change that."

Fellow student council members Kiersten Combs and Adam Crose, both seniors, agreed.

"I don't know what it is, but people feel compelled to look at their phones when they get texts and are driving," Combs said. "Hopefully we can give people a chance to think about what they do while they are driving."

During the assembly, Smith offered plenty of statistics related to distracted driving. She told students texting while driving is the No. 1 reason why teens are killed in accidents, that distracted driving is the cause of 80 percent of all traffic collisions and you are 23 times more likely to be in an accident while texting and driving than driving under the influence.

Smith also explained why the campaign to raise awareness about texting and driving is close to her heart.

"I had two friends killed because of distracted driving," Smith said before the start of the assembly. "My friend Ryan was killed while texting and driving. And three months ago, I had a friend named Jennifer who was killed because she wasn't wearing a seat belt and driver of the car was looking back to talk to some friends in the back seat.

"I think this is an important issue - especially for teenagers."