| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Every April, the National Safety Council promotes |
|
|
Distracted Driving Awareness Month to highlight a major cause of |
|
|
automobile accidents; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Last year, nearly one in five crashes in Texas were |
|
|
caused by a distracted driver; in these crashes, 364 people lost |
|
|
their lives and 2,200 were seriously injured, according to the |
|
|
Texas Department of Transportation; in 2019, more than 97,000 |
|
|
distracted driving crashes were recorded across the state; |
|
|
nationally, distracted driving causes about eight fatalities every |
|
|
day; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Anything that diverts the driver's attention can |
|
|
lead to an accident, from eating and drinking to interacting with |
|
|
passengers, adjusting the navigation, and talking on a cell phone; |
|
|
looking away from the road for just two seconds doubles the risk of |
|
|
a crash, and reading a text for five seconds while traveling at 55 |
|
|
mph is comparable to driving the length of a football field |
|
|
blindfolded; since September 1, 2017, it has been illegal to read, |
|
|
write, or send a text while driving in Texas because of its |
|
|
consequential effects; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, While most people recognize when they are visually |
|
|
or manually distracted and try to limit those activities, they |
|
|
often do not realize when they are cognitively distracted; |
|
|
hands-free devices and voice command systems engage drivers |
|
|
mentally with interactive tasks, and although hands-free options |
|
|
may be marginally safer than handheld devices, eliminating the use |
|
|
of cell phones and in-vehicle infotainment systems improves safety; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Distracted driving crashes are 100 percent |
|
|
preventable; a small activity can lead to devastating consequences |
|
|
when it takes attention away from the road, and the monthlong |
|
|
observance in April reminds motorists to make driving their primary |
|
|
focus and leave other cognitively demanding tasks until they are |
|
|
safely parked; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize April 2022 as Distracted Driving |
|
|
Awareness Month in Texas and encourage residents of the Lone Star |
|
|
State to affirm their commitment to helping make our roadways safer |
|
|
for all. |
| |
|
|
Price |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 1685 was adopted by the House on May |
|
|
29, 2021, by a non-record vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |