The Texas Department of Transportation launched a month-long "Talk. Text. Crash." campaign to urge drivers to pay attention to the road and not other things like their phones.
Distracted driving crashes are on the rise in Texas. TxDOT says 481 people in Texas died in distracted driving crashes in 2022, a 10% increase from the year before.
Thirteen-year-old Emily Zaltsman was killed by a distracted driver in San Antonio in 2017.
"Emily didn't die in an accident. Emily died in a crash that could've been prevented and was killed because of another person's selfish and thoughtless actions," said Emily's mom Karin Zaltsman.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Karin Zaltsman joined TxDOT in pleading for drivers to think about the deadly consequences of distracted driving.
"A driver, a male driver 22 years old, didn't even stop. He was traveling 60 mph and he never braked because he never looked up from his phone to know that the traffic ahead had stopped," said Karin Zaltsman. "And he smashed into my father's car at a differential rate of 60 mph crushing Emily who was sitting in the backseat."
Across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, TxDOT registered more than 20,000 crashes last year blamed on distracted driving, which claimed about 100 lives.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"On average, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds, when traveling at 55 mph, that's equivalent to traveling the length of a football field with your eyes closed," said TxDOT Traffic Safety Program Director Ruby Martinez.
Texting while driving is not only dangerous, it's a crime. Since Sept. 1, 2017, it has been illegal to read, write or send a text while driving in Texas, and violators can face a fine of up to $200.
TxDOT offers these tips to help drivers avoid the temptation of distractions:
- Put your phone away, turn it off or use an app or phone settings to block texts and calls while driving.
- Pull off the road entirely and come to a complete stop before you use your phone.
- Tell friends, family and coworkers you won't respond to texts or calls while driving.
- Avoid eating or drinking until you are parked.
