Pay Attention Killeen, TX! Distracted Driving Deaths Are Way Up

Accidents on Texas roads caused by distracted driving are on the rise. 2021 saw a 17% increase from 2020, and the worst part about this is that it's totally avoidable.

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April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Texas Department of Transportation is asking drivers to pay more attention to the road and less attention to their phones.

Distracted Driving

You may feel pretty comfortable behind the wheel, but according to a TxDOT press release, distracted driving in Texas was responsible for 431 deaths and 2,394 serious injuries in 2021 - all avoidable if the driver was just paying more attention.

Marc Williams, TxDOT executive director, says,

“Texans are killed each year simply because someone was distracted by their phone, radio, navigation system, eating or drinking, or even by others in the car. When your focus isn’t on driving, you’re putting yourself, your passengers and everyone else on the road at risk. Distracted driving crashes are 100% preventable, and we’re urging everyone to just drive whenever they’re behind the wheel.”

It's worth repeating: "Distracted driving crashes are 100% preventable."

How to Prevent Distracted Driving

The rules of the road are simple, and TxDOT offers some quality tips that both new and experienced drivers should follow to avoid distracted driving.

· Always give driving your full attention; remember that any distraction is dangerous.

· Pull off the road entirely and come to a complete stop before you talk on your phone or text.

· Put your phone away, turn it off, or use an app or your phone settings to block texts and calls while driving.

· Tell friends, family and coworkers you won’t respond to texts or calls while driving.

Simple rules that can saves lives.

Breaking The Law

Here's something you may not know: since Sept. 1, 2017, it's illegal to read, write or send a text while driving in Texas. Doing so could lead to a $200 fine.

Texas Roads

Driving in Texas is dangerous. Texas highways and interstates are some of the most deadly in the country, so paying extra attention to the vehicles around you should be a priority when getting behind the wheel.

Distracted driving is 100% preventable!

#endthestreak

This $170M Texas Ranch With 65,000 Acres Is a Dog Lover’s Dream Home

Mesa Vista, the 65,000-acre Panhandle ranch, which belonged to oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens until his death three years ago, has been up for sale since 2017. The list of mind-blowing amenities is long, but for the price it's quite a deal!

The property includes its own golf course, a chapel with a memory garden, an airport with a private apartment for the pilot, and a 40-unit kennel, complete with a bronze dog sculpture in front of the building. Pickens, who was an avid hunter and dog lover, told Land Report in 2015 “Back when I couldn’t afford one bird dog, I had two. When I couldn’t afford two, I had three.”

Let's take a look around this incredible piece of property, which was recently reduced from $250 to $170 million, and see what kind of luxuries you and your furry friends could enjoy!

The Top 10 Worst Places to Live in Texas

While it's always a good idea to know about areas with the lowest crime rates and best recreational opportunities when you are looking for a place to live, it’s also important to know which places to avoid. Even if you move to a neighborhood with a low crime rate, you could also be close to less safe communities.

Here are the top 10 worst places to live in Texas according to moneyinc.com.

Texas in Top 10 Best States to Work from Home in America

How many people do you know that work from home? Since the pandemic, the number of employers with remote jobs has risen steadily.

WalletHub used 12 factors to compare 50 states and the District of Columbia, including the percentage of people working from home, internet cost, cybersecurity, plus size and population concentration of homes in the state.

Let's take a look at the states that are the best for remote work, and where Texas sits on the list nationwide.