TxDOT urges driver safety as school year begins

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Department of Transportation is asking Texas drivers to be alert as a new school year begins.

The department's news release says the Be Safe. Drive Smart. Back-to-School campaign's goal is to educate drivers on how school zones can be chaotic, with children walking or biking to school, or dashing between cars and hopping in and out of buses while parents in cars drop kids off.

Be Safe. Drive Smart. is a key piece of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel.

Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.