Highway accident deaths remain high in Texas, despite stay-at-home orders and far less traffic on the road in recent months.
Earlier this week, state transportation officials launched a new campaign in a bid to reduce one of the leading causes of traffic-related deaths in the Lone Star State – distracted driving.
Distracted Driving Causes 17.4% of Texas Highway Accidents
Distracted driving — texting, eating, grooming, or having a conversation behind the wheel – accounted for 17.4% of the car accidents and other motor vehicle crashes reported in Texas during 2019.
The state’s 97,853 distracted driving crashes resulted in 378 deaths and 2,500 serious injuries that year.
According to researchers from the National Institutes of Health, distracted driving substantially increases the risk of a crash, especially among new drivers. Unfortunately, the same researchers also found that most drivers eat, reach for the phone, text, or otherwise take their eyes off the road about 10% of the time.
“Dart Those Distractions” Highlights Distracted Driving Dangers
On Tuesday, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) released a new web-based augmented reality (AR) game – “Dart Those Distractions” – to raise awareness about the consequences of distracted driving and encourage positive driving habits among Texans.
“The AR game will increase awareness about distracted driving in an interactive, engaging way and aims to help Texans develop positive driving habits,” TxDOT said in a statement announcing the game’s launch. “It’s a new take on the classic carnival game where balloons symbolize driving distractions and the player must pop all the balloons before being able to drive, serving as a reminder to always put away any distractions before hitting the road.”
The AR game can be played on any smartphone or tablet by visiting www.dartthosedistractions.com. Players can also visit the website on a desktop computer to access the game through a QR code.
What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving involves any activity that takes a motorist’s attention off the road, even for a second.
A distraction can include anything from texting and talking on a mobile phone to eating and drinking, putting on makeup, shaving, reading, programming a navigation system, watching a video, and even adjusting the radio.
Using a mobile phone is one of the most common activities among distracted drivers. Whether they’re using a voice-to-text program, hands-free device, or a handheld one, research shows that the distraction caused by a smartphone will affect performance behind the will.
TxDOT urges all drivers to:
- Always give driving their full attention.
- Pull off the road entirely and come to a stop before talking or texting.
- Put their phone away or turn it off before getting behind the wheel.
- Tell friends, family, and coworkers they won’t respond to calls or texts when they’re behind the wheel.
- Use a smartphone app that sends auto-reply texts when they’re behind the wheel.
- Tell friends and family about the dangers of distracted driving.
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