A measure authored by State Rep. Tom Craddick was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Greg Abbott, creating a statewide texting-while-driving ban.
“I am pleased that Governor Abbott signed House Bill 62 and it will become law,” Craddick said in a press release. “For a long time, Texas has needed this law to prevent the loss of life in unnecessary and preventable crashes and we finally have it. This delivers a strong message to Texas drivers to stop texting, put down their phone, and keep their eyes on the road.”
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, 455 people were killed and more than 3,000 were seriously injured in crashes due to driver distractions last year alone.
TxDOT is pushing its “Talk, Text, Crash” message across the state to encourage safe driving. People can expect to see TV commercials, billboards and digital ads reminding them to pay attention while driving and avoid cellular distractions.
“Talk, Text, Crash” interactive events at shopping malls across Texas will be going on throughout the summer where drivers can see how distracted driving crashes have affected Texans statewide. This comes from a partnership with Texas Mutual Insurance Company and TxDOT.
The ban on texting while driving will go into effect Sept. 1. This is the fourth session in a row that Craddick has tried to enact a law banning texting while driving.