BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — One text message, one distraction, one bad decision — that's all it takes for teen drivers.

With National Teen Driver Safety Week approaching, law enforcement and advocates are urging teenagers and their parents to take a closer look at what's at stake when young people get behind the wheel.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. According to the Bakersfield Police Department, teens make up about 5% of the driving population but account for 12.5% of all collisions.

"So anything we can do to decrease that number, and keep all the drivers on the roadways safe, is what we want to do, and that's why we want to participate in bringing awareness to those issues," Sgt. Joshua Deutinger said.

Deutinger with BPD says texting, driv

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