Taylor Sauer Died While Driving And Facebooking; Now Parents Want To Make It Illegal (VIDEO)

Taylor Sauer knew facebooking while driving was a bad idea.

The 18-year-old college student said so in her last status update: "I can't discuss this now. Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha."

At the time, Sauer was driving 80 mph from the Utah State University campus in Logan to visit her folks in Caldwell, Idaho, and was passing the time on the four-hour drive by messaging her friend about the Denver Broncos, according to MSNBC.com

Moments after her last update, she crashed her car into a tanker truck that was going 15 mph up a hill and was killed instantly.

Investigators weren't able to find signs that Sauer applied the brakes before her fatal crash, but, after checking cell phone records, they did discover she was posting about every 90 seconds during her drive, according to Idaho State Police Lt. Sheldon Kelley.

"The text messages were both incoming and outgoing during her trip between Logan, Utah [and the accident scene]," Kelley told the Salt Lake Tribune. "In addition to the texting, there were multiple Facebook communications to and from Taylor Sauer during the minutes immediately prior to the crash."

That was January 14 and her parents, Clay and Shauna Sauer, are trying to make sense of the crash and prevent future tragedies.

VIDEO: (Story Continues Below)

"I think she was probably (texting) to stay awake, she was probably tired," Taylor's dad, Clay Sauer, told Today Show host Ann Curry. "But that's not a reason to do it, and the kids think they're invincible. To them, (texting) is not distracting, they're so proficient at texting, that they don't feel it's distracted driving."

The Sauer family is now lobbying Idaho legislators to put a ban on texting while driving, according to the Daily Mail,.

Idaho is one of 13 states which hasn't made texting while driving illegal, but Shauna Sauer believes Taylor would approve of the new law.

"This is what she would want us to do," she told Curry.

The texting and driving ban has already passed through Idaho’s state senate, and it could travel to the house as early as Tuesday.

Taylor's father, Clay Sauer, said he hopes such a ban would teach drivers that texting and driving is unsafe and unacceptable from a young age, "like the importance of wearing a seatbelt," reported KTVB.com.

"I think every state should have this law," he added.

Comments

[giggle71]

02:52 PM on 05/18/2012

I'm just happy she didn't take anyone else with her, like an innocent young family.

[Ihatemyjob83]

02:47 PM on 05/18/2012

A law can be passed about not texting and driving, but at the end of the day it's up to the driver whether or not they decide to text and drive. It's kind of like seatbelts; we have the laws "click it or ticket", but there are still some that don't wear their seatbelts for whatever reason. This is sad, but maybe some good can come from this in preventing any more accidents.

[softballguy18]

03:09 PM on 04/16/2012

In other words, the parents want to continue to shed themselves of responsibility and put it on the lawmakers.

Don't leave it up to the laws. Teach your own children not to be stupid, and they may live to see 21. It's not a law but rather common sense to keep your eyes on the road and stop whatever else it is that you are doing.

[Daveski69]

10:03 AM on 04/15/2012

for those that say "well she was doing 90 mph and theres a law she'd already broken..why do we need another one?, big gvmt.. blabla"

well, in case you hadn't noticed there are people texting while doing the speed limit, or otherwise breaking no other laws at the time... do you suggest they get a pass? Do they have to hit somebody first?

I guess I'll have a drink (or a few) and go for a sunday drive....doesn't matter unless I kill a pedestrian or have a collision......right?

[Daveski69]

08:56 AM on 04/02/2013

well you certainly took my point the opposite of how I meant it. I'm saying it is wrongly characterized as big guvmnt...I agree with you.

[lokiesteve]

07:52 AM on 04/15/2012

Ban on texting while driving? what a no brainer but it takes a stupid death like this to get it done. Lets call it the Taylor law. I hope the lolz were worth it, can't discuss this now. Flying a jumbo jet and commenting on HP not safe. Haha

[fratricide08]

10:24 PM on 03/23/2012

I feel sorry for what happened to Taylor and her family and friends' pain must be immense, and even though I agree that texting and driving should be banned, the movement in this country that every time someone dies tragically, especially a young person, there must be a law is out of control. This was an accident, one Taylor was responsible for by her actions. She knew those actions were wrong and yet she did them anyway. It's highly unlikely a law would've changed her behavior. Folks talk about 'personal responsibility' but when their loved one ODs it's someone else's fault -- the dealer, big pharma, doctors, anybody but the person who took the drugs and 99% of the time the folks yammering on about personal responsibility are the ones who want laws passed because it happened to their kid. This isn't the way to pass laws. Laws shouldn't be based upon emotions and legislative overreactions to a terrible event that makes the news -- they should come from a place of reason. Otherwise you get overly restrictive laws with outrageous penalties that often don't fit the so-called crime.

Families want to do something after a tragedy. I submit that telling what happened to their kid to other kids and young adults would have far more of an impact than passing a law. When you know you could die in an instant it has more impact than a threat of punishment.

[Squatter Madras]

06:44 PM on 04/15/2012

You're wrong. Here's why. In most cases, overdosing on drugs kills just the individual abusing drugs. Some idiot texting while driving endangers the lives of everyone else sharing the road. I think drugs should be decriminalized and texting, or even talking on a cell phone, while driving should be banned. Everyday I see people in traffic blabbing on their phones completely oblivious to what's going on around them. They're putting others in danger and it should be illegal.

[HarryinOR]

12:26 PM on 03/16/2012

There's no difference between texting and driving and drinking and driving.

This was a self-inflicted death. I'm glad she didn't kill anyone else.

[AbstractionAction]

12:15 PM on 03/16/2012

THIS IS AMERICA: We know what we are doing is wrong, but we do it to death.

[Bobby Reed]

04:35 AM on 03/18/2012

That's why we rock.

[Juggalo17]

02:25 PM on 03/19/2012

Whasssup Bobby!

[n329df]

12:13 PM on 03/16/2012

it is all ready illegal, it is called DISTRACTED DRIVING,

[Jackie2000]

03:10 AM on 03/11/2012

I am heartbroken for this family, but do find it odd that the article says she was going "80 mph".
What is the speed limit where she was driving?
Surely, it was not 80 mph, which means, she was already driving illegally.
Adding a ban on texting would just add another law to the one she was already breaking.

Having said that, some states have already banned texting, so I do hope it serves as a deterrent. Too many people already driving poorly, speeding, swerving, weaving.....it gets more and more scary out there on the roads.
I would not even mind a ban on talking on the cell while driving....as you still have to look away to pick up the phone or dial a number to talk, etc.

[Daniidayyy]

08:21 AM on 07/24/2012

75 mph

[kittykatluvr21]

01:10 AM on 03/11/2012

Hate to say this, but it would make more sense to walk in front of a train than to do this.

[earthisalive]

11:14 PM on 03/10/2012

It is common sense not to take your eyes off the road while operating a vehicle of any kind. There are programs out there that will allow a person to use or text on their phone hands-free. An application to have transcribers type the text that you dictate while you drive is out there. I'm sure there are people totally against using a cell phone of any kind while on the roads but at least for now there are devices or programs, such as voice activated phones or a 'voice to text' application, that allow people to communicate safely because illegal or not people are still going to want to use their phones while driving. Nowadays, cell phones are like an extension of some people's bodies.

[dave dbo]

06:40 AM on 03/10/2012

"The Sauer family is now lobbying Idaho legislators to put a ban on texting while driving, according to the Daily Mail."

People seem to invite the government into every sphere of their lives, then turn around and protest against "Big Government".
But what would other "tired" drivers do in the future if they can't text while driving?

[tamihunter45]

01:30 AM on 03/11/2012

Well Einstein, what would YOU suggest to be done about this type of ignorance? And IF you have a child, what would YOU do if he or she were killed by an idiot on a cell phone or texting while driving? Bury the child and forget about it? Probably. Parents can talk to their kids until they're blue in the face but does that mean they will HEAR THEM? No. Not necessarily. There will STILL be that one meat head who will ignore the advice anyway. You 20 something, anti-government mentality people make me want to gag.

[dave dbo]

06:26 AM on 03/11/2012

What I would suggest?
Parents should be parents, and not punt the job to the government. It is the parents' job to teach their kids responsibility and common sense. Sure, kids are naturally stubborn. But there are very effective ways to get some sense into them. This man obviously did a horrible job of raising his daughter, as shown by his readiness to give a most stupid excuse I have ever heard on her behalf. Yeah, she was texting while driving because she was "probably tired". Well, maybe he would consider jumping off a cliff because he is bored.
There are already tons of laws on the books against reckless, careless and other types of driving, and adding yet another law will make little difference. Those who will break the law will do so.
And, before you gag, I'd like you to know that I have a 17-year old boy, and I am his PARENT.

[Brian J Hoffner]

12:48 PM on 03/11/2012

Laws....Ummm 80mph, i am guessing in 70mph zone.... she was breaking a law that was inplace, so obviously another law would have NOT prevented this from happening. Perhaps its time to take your government prescribed medication.

[aphextwin07]

05:01 PM on 03/09/2012

first Darwin Award nominee of the year.

[Cindy Russell444]

02:40 AM on 03/09/2012

Perhaps instead of passing a law every time someone dies after they do something they know is stupid, we teach our children the importance of a small thing called common sense. Maybe it should be a course to graduate high school. God knows they aren't learning anything else these days.

[TeeSC]

09:54 AM on 03/09/2012

Good point. Of course the law IS a good idea but it starts at home first.