There’s a pretty gruesome public service announcement out of the U.K. that’s been making the rounds online – the YouTube video already has more than 118,000 views – about the dangers of texting while driving.

Regardless of where you stand on the efficacy of scare tactics like the video in question (linked after the jump – and take our word for it, it’s not for everyone; it’s bloody and violent), I hope, at least, we’re all on the same page about how incredibly dangerous it is to tap out messages on a tiny keyboard while piloting a multi-ton metal box at high speeds. Of course, not everyone agrees (or, perhaps, cares): I see people texting in their cars all the time on the highways in and around Los Angeles. This, despite Car and Driver’s tests showing it’s as dangerous as – if not more dangerous than -- drunken driving, and CNBC’s tests that show the same.

There’s no telling what will get through to teen drivers, of course (I cringe now at the thought of some of the completely stupid things I did behind the wheel in high school, despite knowing better), but proponents of the scared-straight approach can find the video here. For a more informative, less gruesome approach, check back to Charles Plueddeman’s piece on driving tips to improve teen safety. (For those who rush to cry “alarmism,” note that fatalities like the one played out in the PSA have already happened.)