The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) urged Texans and those that visited the state to prepare accordingly and follow safety tips prior to the historical total solar eclipse that impact dozens of communities on Monday.
Those in the path of totality saw the effects of the solar eclipse from roughly 1:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. on Monday.
DPS has been working in close collaboration with communities across 83 counties in the eclipse’s path of totality to ensure millions of Texans—and upwards of 1.1 million visitors— remained safe.
DPS’ response and support for impacted communities was dependent on the location and needs of state and local partners, but may included traffic direction and control, manning Emergency Operations Centers, patrolling high traffic areas and providing emergency response services.
Drivers were encouraged to not stop on roads to observe the eclipse. Drivers who wanted to observe the eclipse were directed to pull over, clear of traffic and away from being hit by other vehicles.
For those driving during the eclipse, those individuals were encouraged to solely focus on the road—don’t look at the eclipse or wear eclipse glasses while driving. Throughout times of the eclipse, drivers may have needed to activate vehicle lights during due to lack of sunlight. Texas law requires vehicle lights to be activated any time visibility is less than 1,000 feet.
Planning travel routes in advance was encouraged along with expecting traffic delays throughout the course of the eclipse. Individuals were also encouraged to consider carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Make a communication plan with your family and friends during the eclipse in case cell phone service is impacted.
Following the eclipse, the month of April is considered Distracted Driving Awareness Month for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT is reminding everyone to stay focused behind the wheel with the Talk. Text. Crash. campaign. Every year messages are sent during April to remind people to put their phones down. While there was an 18% drop in fatalities last year, it was not deemed enough by state officials. Nearly 400 people lost their lives last year because of distracted driving in Texas and nearly 2,800 others suffered serious injuries.
It is important to remember that texting while driving is also a crime. If someone is caught reading, writing or sending a text while driving in Texas, they can face a fine of up to $200 and many cities outlaw any use of a handheld device while driving.
The Talk. Text. Crash. campaign will travel around the state with an interactive exhibit featuring a distracted driving simulator that allows participants to experience the dangers of inattentive driving firsthand. TxDOT urges drivers to put their phones away and remember these tips to keep our roads safe: Full attention, any distraction is dangerous, whether it is a phone or anything else that takes eyes or minds off the road.
Phones down, turn it off or use the phone’s settings to block texts and calls while driving.
Pull over, come to a complete stop before using a phone, eat or do anything that interferes with driving.
Tell friends, family and coworkers that texts or calls will not be responded to while driving.