By now, there probably isn’t a driver in this country unaware of the dangers of texting and driving. No matter how many public service messages are put out there, the net effect is zero: drivers will continue to text and talk on hand-held cell phones behind the wheel. Why? Call it the “it can’t happen to me” factor, which is the same reason why people don’t wear seat belts. Here’s the bottom line: no one ever plans on having an accident, and using a cell phone behind the wheel increases you chance of having one exponentially.

That’s why we’re fond of this video, found on Autoblog, which shows new drivers proving to themselves that texting and driving is a bad idea. Imaging if texting while driving was a required step to pass a driver’s test – how do you think you’d do under the watchful eyes of an instructor, dodging cones while sending a text?

Here’s another thing worth pointing out – in most of Europe, getting a driver’s license is a much bigger deal than it is here. First, you go to a formal driving school, where you’re taught not just the rules of the road, but essential skills like car control that we tend to ignore on this side of the Atlantic. In other words, each of the students in this film had substantially more experience behind the wheel than the average new driver in America.

We’re far too jaded and cynical to think this video will keep even one new driver from texting behind the wheel, but we’ll do our part to spread the word anyway. Don’t text and drive, and always wear a seat belt, because it can indeed happen to you.