Tallahassee, FL -- June 8, 2012--

Getting behind the wheel of any car can be scary enough, but a new government survey shows the roads may be even more dangerous now, in part to tech-savvy teens.

"Hey it's just one second, I'm going to send this quick text," said Tallahassee resident Apple Alford. "You don't really think about it as a life or death thing."

The survey asks teens about their behavior behind the wheel.

Results showed 58% of high school seniors and 43% of juniors admitted to texting or emailing while driving during the previous month.

College student Randi Hill learned the hard way just how serious the bad habit can be.

"My cousin died from texting and driving about a year ago, texting about the most trivial conversation and his life is just gone now," Hill said.

One local mom hopes other parents will educate their teens early on about the dangers of distracted driving.

"We as parents need to get more involved," Rebecca Judd said. "Just as we have curfews and so forth, we need to let them know this is a guideline and a requirement too."