Do you ever text while driving?  If you answered yes and are still a CHS student, you're breaking the law. A new texting while driving law was put in effect in the State of Missouri on Friday,August 28, but the law only applies to drivers who are 21 or younger. 

"Should it apply to only those 21 and younger? No, I believe it should apply to everyone," said State Representative Jim Guest. Guest and his Chief of Staff, Louise Diender, both have strong opinions on the new law.  

"The bulk of it is pretty much garbage," said Diender.

Guest doesn't remember if he signed for or against the bill.



"I think it will improve safety on the road with more people paying attention to the road and such," said Sophomore AndreaOverman. Overman has very strong opinions about this law, and thesurprising thing is that she will be a future driver. Overman is already a great student and obviously hopes to be a great influence on the road.

She also believes the law should apply to everyone with a license.

"If there is no one on the road and no one around, then why not [text]?" said a student who is afraid to be known for texting and driving by parents. This particular student believes you should be able to text and drive whenever you feel like. The anonymous student takes it even one step further, believing people over the age of 21 should not text because "they aren't as qualified to text as teens are."

"I don't text, first of all, and if I were proficient at texting, I still wouldn't text [while driving] because it is dangerous to everyone around me," said FACS Teacher Mrs. Dawn Stuedle. "You see videos on the internet that involve people in accidents that were caused by texting and driving," added Stuedle.  "We are distracted enough without texting. I don't believe anyone overtwenty one should be texting either because we all need to be focusedon the road."

Mrs. Stuedle approves of the law, but understands why kids are upset. "I am sure the younger generation believes that this will affect thembecause the technology is such a big part of their lives."

"Texting would be dangerous for me to even think about, because I have a hard enough time just messing with the air [conditioning]," said Junior,Alexis Smith. "I find that no one should text because there are already so many distractions." Smith is a driver and does not text because she"can't focus on more than one thing at a time."

Regardless of your feelings, teen texting and driving is illegal in the state.  So put your cell phones away and keep your eyes on the road!