Donna Revel has a very personal reason for wanting to encourage teenagers and their parents to avoid distracted driving.

Revel, the attendance and at-risk officer for Escambia County Schools, said her daughter had just glanced down to read a text message from her father when she was involved in an accident at the age of 16. Luckily, she was able to crawl out of the wrecked car and walk away.

But Revel knows others are not so lucky.

“It’s very personal to me,” she said.

Revel is inviting teenagers and their parents to attend a distracted driving course Thursday at Escambia County High School.

The seminar, which will take place at 5 p.m. at the school’s media center, will be led by state trooper Greg Eubanks.

“This has a great impact on all of our students,” Revel said.

Just this spring, state lawmakers passed a ban on texting while driving, which has become one of the most prevalent ways that drivers can become distracted.

The law prohibits sending text messages, instant messages or emails while operating a motor vehicle. Dialing a phone is still allowed. Offenders will be fined $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second and $75 for the third.

Each offense is also a two-point violation on a person’s driving record.