You're driving home from work and you feel the familiar buzz of your phone in your pocket. At this point reaching for your phone has become almost an instinctive reaction. But you should think twice before you text your friends to catch you up on the latest "Game of Thrones" spoilers while you wait at a red light. Distracted driving is becoming a serious epidemic. Not not only is it dangerous to you and the drivers you share the road with, but with several states cracking down on the practice lately, it can also lead to financial and legal trouble for you as well.

Texting context
In the age of smartphones, texting has become more common for a lot of people than tying their shoes. Unfortunately, this often translates into drivers sending and receiving texts while they're behind the wheel. According to TextingAndDrivingSafety.com, sending a text, tweeting or updating a Facebook post while you're in the driver's seat is one of the most dangerous things you can do. In fact, texting while driving is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving while drunk, according to the data. Picking up your phone to text makes you 23 times as likely to crash than not texting at all.

Many states are starting to beef up their no-texting policies. In New Jersey, for example, a third offense nets you three demerit points on your license. Not only are you looking at a costly ticket and possible license suspension, but according to Cars.com, such penalties can also hike up your insurance premiums.

Hands-free isn't off the hook
It's a common misconception that hands-free and automated phone systems are safer than their manual counterparts because you're able to keep your hands at 10-and-2. 

"While many drivers honestly believe they are making the safe choice by using a hands-free device, it's just not true," David Teater of the National Safety Council told the source. 

Your hands may be free, but the real issue is your attention. Attention you're giving to the conversation is focus that you're taking away from driving, watching the road, paying attention to cars around you and looking out for potential hazards.

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