Two standout SADD students work to end distracted driving as "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." continues through September

U Drive. U Text. U Pay., a statewide enforcement campaign to make our roads safer continues in North Dakota through Sept. 30. Law enforcement agencies across the state will continue their participation in the campaign as they enforce the ban on texting while driving.

As the enforcement campaign continues, two North Dakota teens, Lauren Roscoe and Logan Munson, are making their voices heard when it comes to putting an end to distracted driving. Lauren Roscoe was selected among 500,000 active members as the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) National student of the year and Logan Munson is the Northern Lights region SADD student of the year. The Northern Lights region consists of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota and has about 4,200 members. Both students are from New Rockford, N.D. and want their peers to understand the dangers of distracted driving. Texting while driving multiplies the chance of a crash 23 times.

"I can never stress enough to my peers how dangerous distracted driving is. Although so many teens think they are invincible, nobody is," said Roscoe. "They aren't thinking about the consequences of their actions and how they affect not only themselves but everyone around them. No text is worth losing a life. Always being alert and aware can help guarantee everyone gets to their destination safely every single time."

"When I talk about distracted driving to my fellow teens, I try to get across that getting in a vehicle crash can happen to anyone. Driving distracted is a very serious issue. When anyone drives distracted they are putting themselves, passengers and everyone around them in danger," explains Munson.

Over the next year, as National and Regional students of the year, Roscoe and Munson will team up with the NDDOT to help promote the state's Vision Zero mission to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes on North Dakota roads.