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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Every April, the National Safety Council promotes |
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Distracted Driving Awareness Month to highlight a major cause of |
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automobile accidents; and |
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WHEREAS, Last year, nearly one in five crashes in Texas were |
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caused by a distracted driver; in these crashes, 364 people lost |
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their lives and 2,200 were seriously injured, according to the |
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Texas Department of Transportation; in 2019, more than 97,000 |
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distracted driving crashes were recorded across the state; |
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nationally, distracted driving causes about eight fatalities every |
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day; and |
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WHEREAS, Anything that diverts the driver's attention can |
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lead to an accident, from eating and drinking to interacting with |
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passengers, adjusting the navigation, and talking on a cell phone; |
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looking away from the road for just two seconds doubles the risk of |
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a crash, and reading a text for five seconds while traveling at 55 |
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mph is comparable to driving the length of a football field |
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blindfolded; since September 1, 2017, it has been illegal to read, |
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write, or send a text while driving in Texas because of its |
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consequential effects; and |
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WHEREAS, While most people recognize when they are visually |
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or manually distracted and try to limit those activities, they |
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often do not realize when they are cognitively distracted; |
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hands-free devices and voice command systems engage drivers |
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mentally with interactive tasks, and although hands-free options |
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may be marginally safer than handheld devices, eliminating the use |
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of cell phones and in-vehicle infotainment systems improves safety; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Distracted driving crashes are 100 percent |
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preventable; a small activity can lead to devastating consequences |
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when it takes attention away from the road, and the monthlong |
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observance in April reminds motorists to make driving their primary |
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focus and leave other cognitively demanding tasks until they are |
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safely parked; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 2022 as Distracted Driving |
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Awareness Month in Texas and encourage residents of the Lone Star |
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State to affirm their commitment to helping make our roadways safer |
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for all. |