DPS Reminds Motorists April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
LUBBOCK – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding motorists that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and during the rest of the month and throughout the year, it’s important for all drivers to reduce distractions every time they get behind the wheel.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were more than 96,000 crashes involving distracted driving in 2018, and these crashes led to more than 2,300 serious injuries and over 390 deaths.
DPS wants to remind you that distracted driving of any kind can be dangerous. In just three seconds, when you take your eyes off of the road while driving at 70 mph, your vehicle travels over the length of a football field. Distractions are anything that take a driver’s attention off the road, including talking on the phone.
Since Nov. 8, 2000, at least one person has died on Texas roadways every single day. DPS urges all Texans to commit to safe driving every time they operate a motor vehicle and offers the following reminders to help keep motorists safe:
Put your phone away or turn it off before getting behind the wheel.
Tell friends, family and coworkers you won’t respond to calls or texts when driving.
Use a smartphone app that sends auto-reply texts when you’re behind the wheel.
If you must text, pull entirely off the road (preferably into a location away from traffic) before devoting your focus to the phone.
Always give driving your full attention — no matter what, as the consequences of distracted driving can be deadly.
As a reminder, effective Sept. 1, 2017, state law prohibits drivers from reading, writing or sending electronic messages on mobile phones while driving.
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