Just how dangerous is texting while driving? NewsChannel5's Kristin Byrne is put to the test

CLEVELAND - If you’re a parent and your child drives, you’re probably nervous whenever they get behind the wheel.

According to AAA, nearly half of all teens admit to texting while driving. The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration said in 2008 alone, distracted driving caused 16 percent of all deadly crashes. It killed more than 5,800 people and injured more than half a million.

NewsChannel5’s Kirstin Byrne got to test out just how dangerous texting while driving is. Kristin had the chance to simulate the experience in a virtually reality environment.

Here’s how the simulator works. It is a computerized system set in a real car. "Drivers" adjust the seat, buckle up the seatbelt, and turn on the ignition. Wearing a special pair of glasses, they receive a virtual reality experience that shows what can potentially happen while sending a text message.

Watch the video above just to see how good or should I say bad, Kristin did.

The simulator is sponsored by AT&T who is calling on all drivers to go to www.itcanwait.com to take the no-texting-and-driving pledge, and then share their promise with others via Twitter
(#itcanwait) and Facebook.