Distracted driving — Texas Permit Test

It is against the law to read, write, or send messages on a cell phone or other portable wireless device while driving.

Reading counts as much as typing does. Both take the eyes off the road for the same few seconds.

It is against the law to read, write, or send messages on a cell phone or other portable wireless device

A driver may use a cell phone to contact law enforcement or during an emergency.

The ban exists for texting, not for calling for help. Texas writes the exception in rather than leaving it to be argued.

You may use a cell phone to contact law enforcement or during an emergency

If a driver must make a call they should pull safely off the road, keep the conversation short, or have a passenger make the call.

A parked car is the only place a phone call is free of risk. The passenger option costs nothing at all.

If you must make a call, pull safely off the road and make the call

If drivers react half a second slower because of distractions, crashes double.

Half a second sounds like nothing and doubles the number of crashes. That is the whole argument against the phone.

If drivers react a half-second slower because of distractions, crashes double

Mental activities that take a driver's mind away from driving are as dangerous as taking the eyes off the road, because eyes can gaze at objects and fail to see them.

Looking is not the same as seeing. A driver deep in a conversation can look straight at a stop sign and miss it.

Your eyes can gaze at objects in the driving scene but fail to see them because your attention is distracted elsewhere

A driver should review maps and plan their route before they begin driving.

Reading a map at the wheel is reading something that is not the road. Doing it first costs a minute.

Review maps and plan your route before you begin driving

A driver should adjust all mirrors for the best all-round visibility before starting a trip.

Reaching for a mirror at speed takes a hand and an eye. Setting them first is the cheapest thing on the list.

Adjust all mirrors for the best all-round visibility before you start your trip

A driver should watch for other drivers who may be distracted, such as vehicles drifting over the lane divider lines or traveling at inconsistent speeds.

The distracted driver will not warn you. Drifting and uneven speed are what gives them away.

drivers can prevent you from perceiving or reacting correctly in time to prevent a crash. Watch for: • Vehicles that may drift over the lane divider lines or within their own lane

A driver should give a distracted driver plenty of room and maintain a safe following distance.

You cannot fix their attention and you can control the distance. That is the only lever available.

drivers can prevent you from perceiving or reacting correctly in time to prevent a crash. Watch for: • Vehicles that may drift over the lane divider lines or within their own lane. • Vehicles traveling at inconsistent speeds. • Drivers who are preoccupied with maps, food, cigarettes, cell phones, or other objects. • Drivers who appear to be involved in conversations with their passengers. Give a distracted driver plenty of room and maintain your safe following distance

What does Texas law prohibit doing on a cell phone while driving?

Reading, writing or sending messages. Reading counts as much as typing does. Both take the eyes off the road for the same few seconds. Texas Driver Handbook, p.54: “It is against the law to read, write, or send messages on a cell phone or other portable wireless device”