April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is launching the "Talk. Text. Crash." campaign to raise awareness of the dangers associated with distracted driving and to encourage Texans to put down their cell phones while driving. 
Distracted driving is becoming increasingly common and dangerous, causing traffic crashes and fatalities. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows the proportion of fatalities reportedly associated with driver distraction increased from 10 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2009. In fact, 20 percent of injury crashes nationally in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
 
This deadly trend is mirrored in Texas, where nearly one in four crashes involves driver distraction, according to TxDOT. In 2009 alone, over 100,000 vehicles were involved in crashes where distraction in vehicle, driver inattention or cell phone use was cited. Sadly, 408 of those crashes were fatal.

Please listen in this Friday, April 15th at 11:30 a.m. CST when our radio show guest will be Ms. Tracie Mendez. Tracie is the Driver Behavior Program Manager for TxDOT. She manages the educational and enforcement  traffic safety campaigns such as Click it or Ticket; Drink. Drive. Go to Jail; and the new "Text Talk Crash" Distracted Driving Campaign.