On April 7, students at SMU could be seen texting and driving under a huge sign showing a broken cell phone. As part of the event, they used their phones while operating a driving simulator to test how well they could drive while texting. Throughout the month, different college campuses in Texas will be visited by this simulation as part of a campaign to end distracted driving.
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT) is working to make sure that the message reaches everyone in the U.S. through programs in schools, social media and other events. This month, they are targeting college campuses as many young adults admit to texting while driving.
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Even though texting while driving is legal in Texas as a result of a veto from Governor Greg Abbott, the dangers of doing so are often higher than people assume. According to TXDoT, more than 100,000 crashes result from distracted driving annually. In fact, nearly one in four traffic crashes includes some form of distracted driving. Even if the driver is sober, as soon as someone’s attention is no longer completely focused on the road and surroundings, that person’s abilities to drive and to respond to unexpected incidents on the road are automatically impaired.
TXDoT wants people to know that their life matters and can be affected when they or people they know text while driving. This month, TXDoT is publicizing testimonials from people who have lost loved ones to this activity. In one video, a mother talks about her daughter, who was killed in a crash involving a driver who was texting. In another anti-texting and driving event held at St. Mary’s University, a father gave a speech about his daughter, who died while reading her friends’ texts behind the wheel on her way home.
The best way to be involved in the movement to end texting and driving is to learn ways to stop doing so and to spread awareness of both its dangers and the ways to prevent it. Apps like DriveMode help drivers avoid having to look at their phone screens to conduct activities. Some people keep their phones in the backseat so that they can resist the temptation to use them.
Most people’s last texts behind the wheel are often trivial, short messages such as “I’m on my way” or “Okay.” Those texts can wait – they are never as important as a life.
