Automobile crashes are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents in the United States, with 1.3 million deaths and 50 million injuries per year. Distracted driving is a major risk factor for many of these crashes, with a huge impact on families and communities, both financially and emotionally. A growing number of legislative efforts have been put in place to educate the public, reduce the incidence of auto accidents, and implement new regulatory approaches to prohibit distracted driving. The goal of this report is to investigate human brain activity in response to distraction, particularly while driving, dispel the myth of the brain's ability to multitask, and by extension, the uselessness of hands-free technologies while driving. This report also aims to raise awareness of the risks and consequences of distracted driving, discuss the issue in relation to texting and driving, and explore possible solutions to put an end to this risky behavior. The very act of driving already requires a great deal of attentiveness and concentration on the part of the driver. Adding a cell phone to the image introduces additional challenges to the brain. Researchers at Monash University's Accident Research Center have shown that multitasking between driving and texting increases mental workload causing higher levels of stress and frustration. For example, stress increases when you go from driving on a local road to entering the highway or vice versa. Using the phone (checking a text message, posting a status on Facebook) helps increase the complexity of the task at hand. This exhausts the brain, weakens the operator's driving skills, and impairs the...... middle of paper......ration, 2012. DOT HS 811 629O'Mara, Maggie. “Woman Paralyzed in Crash Objects to Texting While Driving.” King Broadcasting Company, November 17, 2013. Web. May 1, 2014. .Praegitzer, Jeremy . "Naples mother honors daughter killed by distracted driver." NBC-2, August 8, 2010. Web. May 1, 2014. "TICKETS, POINTS AND PENALTIES: Cell Phone Use and Texting." New York State DMV. New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, July 1, 2013. Web. May 1, 2014. "Community Guide Systematic Reviews on Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention" 2012 Community Prevention Services Task Force March 29. Understanding the distracted brain: Why driving while using cell phones hands-free is a risky behavior." National Safety Council, April 1, 2012. Web. May 1 2014. .