Say no to distracted driving

Did you know that it’s illegal to text while driving in Texas? Of course you do! That’s why you do it so furtively, thinking you’re being all sneaky. With cell phone use responsible for so many crashes – one in five, according to the latest figures – the Texas Department of Transportation has dubbed April Distracted Driving Prevention Month in the hopes of raising awareness about this deadly menace. The campaign has a simple message: Put your phone down and give your full attention to the road in front of you. Any activity that distracts you while you’re behind the wheel is considered dangerous: That includes using voice-to-text programs, rifling through your briefcase looking for that Snickers bar, checking your makeup in the visor mirror, and making kissy faces at the labradoodle in the car behind you. To drive home the point (see what I did there?), TxDOT has launched a web-based game called Dart Those Distractions. All you do is scan the code on the web page and then play the game on your smartphone – at home!