With technology at their fingertips, drivers are constantly faced with distractions such as talking or texting.  April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Texas Department of Transportation is launching the Talk. Text. Crash. campaign to encourage Texans to put down their cell phones while driving.

The campaign officially launches at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday with an event on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol in Austin.  A NASCAR driving simulator, provided by Nationwide Insurance, will be available for drivers to experience the impact distracted driving has on their driving abilities.  The simulator will be located at 11th and Colorado (on the west side of the Capitol).

Distracted driving is becoming increasingly common and dangerous.  In Texas, nearly one in four crashes involves driver distraction, according to TxDOT.  In 2009 alone, more than 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.