U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released the latest video in the Department of Transportation's "Faces of Distracted Driving" series.
The new clip features a mother whose 12-year-old son was killed in 2004 when a young woman driving a Hummer and talking on her cell phone ran a red light and crashed into their vehicle a mile from their home in Spring Lake, Mich.

WATCH: Joe Teater, 12

"Joe Teater wasn't a statistic -- he was a son and a brother, and his death left a hole in the heart of his family members and friends," said Secretary LaHood. "I hope that everyone who hears Judy speak about the tragic loss of her young son will realize that no text message or phone call is worth the risk."

"We still miss Joe every day, even after almost seven years," said Joe's mother, Judy Teater, an anti-distracted driving advocate and founding board member of FocusDriven. "I want to share who he was and how he died so people understand that when you choose to use your phone while driving, you put my life, your life, and the lives of everyone around you in danger. No phone call is more important than someone's life."

"Faces of Distracted Driving" is a series of videos exploring the tragic consequences of texting and cell phone use while driving. They feature people from across the country who have been injured or lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes. In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver.

WATCH: Faces of Distracted Driving

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a ban on text messaging while operating a commercial motor vehicle in January 2010. A rulemaking proposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in September 2010 to work in conjunction with the FMCSA ban would restrict the use of electronic devices by drivers during the operation of a motor vehicle containing hazardous materials. Notice of the proposed rulemaking has been posted, and the public is invited to comment.

To learn more about the U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to stop distracted driving, please visit www.distraction.gov.