Mississippi is 8th in the nation for teen highway traffic fatalities. Although most of those come from not wearing seatbelts, texting and driving contributes to that ranking as well.
Johnny Poulos is with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. He says distracted driving is a major concern - especially for the state's young drivers.
"Our main mission is for everyone to arrive home safely. October of 2014, we had a total of 65 fatalities statewide, and unfortunately, 15 were teenagers. That's just unacceptable," Poulos says.
Tawni Basden is the Youth Programs Director at DREAM Inc. - a non-profit organization that promotes the idea "Drive now. Text later".
Basden says although teens may not be bad at driving, they are still new to it - having higher risks while behind the wheel.
"They're still learning the rules of the road, and how to handle the road in different weather, how to handle having a conversation with someone in the car, all while focusing on the road," says Basden.
Jon Weeks, a parent of 4 teenagers, says as an adult, it can be hard to practice what you preach - especially when dealing with cell phones while driving.
"I know I'm terrible. We all get busy, especially as adults, and we tend to look down at our phones when we shouldn't. It's something that I need to quit completely. I see so many adults out there doing it, and then we wonder why the kids are doing it," Weeks says.
Transportation officials say good decisions while driving are not limited to teenagers.
When it comes to driving, officials are encouraging everyone to remember "It can wait".
