John Burroughs High School seniors were put to the test Tuesday when they were given a driving simulation course with distractions to kick off California Teen Safe Driving Week and Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

About 1.3 million car crashes that happen each year are because of distracted driving, according to the Centers for Disease Control and National Safety Council. About 3,300 people die from these accidents. Teens and young adults cause the largest proportion of such accidents.

Dr. Kelly Browning, the executive director of Impact Teen Driving, said this event is crucial in sending out the message to teens about the dangers of distracted driving.

“What we’re trying to do is raise awareness and about the number one killer of young people in America, which is car crashes,” Browning said. “And about 75 percent of those car crashes are related to reckless and distracted driving.”

Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, Impact Teen Drivers and the California Highway Patrol hosted the news conference and driving simulation event.

The course was laid out in front of the high school and appeared to be a simple driving course. However, despite its look from the outset, the driving simulation was not as easy as it appeared. A handful of high school seniors soon found that distractions, like talking passengers, loud music and texting, made this simple looking course much more difficult to complete.

Steve Shin, a high school senior, said he was looking forward to his turn behind the wheel and hoped the event helped to deter teens from engaging in distracted driving in the future.

“I think it’s a great event, because it’s a learning experience while we’re having fun,” Shin said. “Having the idea where were actually tested on a distracted course, is kind of interesting.”

Victoria Goins, another high school senior, admitted to driving distracted in the past.

“I’ve never texted while driving, but I have changed a song on my iPod and that can honestly be just as dangerous,” Goins said. “Because when I did that I almost rear ended a car.”

Although many seniors thought the event was fun and exciting, there was still a serious underlying message one parent wanted the students to understand.

Bonnye Spray lost her 17-year-old daughter in a distracted driving car crash. Her daughter was driving and texting and took one corner too fast.

“Six years ago to this date, I said goodbye to my best friend,” Spray said during the news conference.

Spray spoke sorrowfully as she recalled the passing of her daughter. 

“I was guilty, I was texting her too. “ Spray said pausing. “And I have to live with the guilt of knowing I probably contributed to it… It was such a preventable accident.”

After losing her daughter, Spray said her goal in life is to save another life by making parents and teens aware of the dangers of distracted driving.

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