Karen Roach Karen Roach - stock.adobe.com
No Texting and Driving Sign
No Texting and Driving Sign, White Information sign with symbol of a hand and texting isolated on a white background
COVID-19 may be reducing traffic as people spend more time at home, but according to TxDOT, it hasn’t done much to lessen the number of fatalities that occur on Texas roadways.
A big factor that contributes to these fatalities is distracted driving — and not just from a cell phone. To raise awareness, TxDOT launched a web-based augmented reality game, “Dart Those Distractions,” that has its player point their phone camera at any location to prompt a virtual car to appear in the space. The player then taps their phone to release a dart popping balloons that represent common distractions like pets, eating while driving, and music.
“Every driver and every passenger can be impacted by distracted driving, and one death is one too many,” TxDOT executive director James Bass said in a statement. “We are doing all we can to make sure every Texan knows the dangers of driving distracted.”
Visit dartthosedistractions.com to play — just not when you’re driving. ’Kay?
Distracted driving — not cool.
3,056 Number of motor vehicle traffic crashes that involved distracted driving in Fort Worth in 2019 (distraction, driver inattention, or cell phone use)
5 Deaths in Fort Worth
85 Serious injuries in Fort Worth
8,102 Number of crashes that involved distracted driving in the Fort Worth TxDOT district (Tarrant and surrounding counties)
Around 1 in 5 crashes on Texas roads are caused by distracted driving
Source: TxDOT Crash Data and Analysis, 2019
