24 May 2011
Attorney General Greg Abbott Warns Young Texans Not to Text and Drive
DALLAS— In 2010, the Texas Department of Transportation reported that cell phone use contributed to 3,000 crashes statewide. Armed with that information, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw and AT&T Regional Vice President Holly Reed stopped by Thomas Jefferson High School to bring awareness to students about the dangers of texting while driving.
Earlier this month, the Attorney General's Office and DPS conducted texting-while-driving tests at four Texas high schools, including Thomas Jefferson, to demonstrate to students the dangers of texting while driving. The test required students to drive a vehicle through an obstacle course while attempting to text or read a text message on their cell phones. The obstacle course was set up in a controlled area and supervised by DPS.
During yesterday's news conference, students were able to review video of their attempts and see how other students performed the dangerous task.
AT&T plans to utilize video from the schools to produce public service announcements to distribute across the state.