Texting – a seemingly harmless activity – appears to be far more dangerous than the general public thinks, especially when driving.

Sending text messages while behind the wheel can cause serious injuries and may even be deadly.

In Oxford, England, Phillipa Curtis was sentenced to 21 months in prison for texting while driving. The 22-year-old was texting her friends when she hit the car in front of her and killed Victoria McBryde.

Curtis rammed her vehicle into McBryde’s rear end, killing the 24-year-old instantly. McBryde’s mother and her personal injury attorney were upset that Curtis only received 21 month in prison. They feel Curtis deserves a longer sentence for her actions.

There appear to be mixed reactions about the incident, as many people claim they also text while they drive, and this type of incident could happen to anyone. According to phone records, McBryde allegedly was also texting and talking on her hand held phone prior to the incident.

According to a New York Times article, Britain has cracked down on texting and driving because of the serious injuries that have occurred. It is illegal in England to text or talk on hand held while driving a vehicle. Most European countries and a few states in the U.S. have banned the use of hand held phones while driving as well.

The new guidelines in British law state, “reading or composing text messages over a period of time” can be a distraction. The British courts have ruled that if the driver composes messages while driving the vehicle at any time, it could still be a distraction for the driver.

Even if the driver is not texting at the exact moment of impact; the driver could still be prosecuted if they composed a message during the duration of driving the vehicle.

Officials compare driving and texting to driving while drunk. Although a person may not be physically drinking an alcoholic beverage while they are driving, they are still affected by the alcohol previously consumed. The same idea holds true with texting, the New York Times reported.

British authorities claim any person using a hand held phone while driving who is involved in an incident involving death will receive severe punishment and jail time.

Many are finding this lax ideal of texting and driving a serious problem. In the future, other countries might follow suit and create severe punishments for drivers using their hand held phones while driving their vehicles.

England has made it a priority to stop future injuries or deaths as a result of texting and driving.