So far, despite mounting concern from safety experts, Texas lawmakers have been unwilling to pass legislation aimed at controlling the ability of Texans to legally text and drive or use any sort of handheld device while behind the wheel of an automobile.

This is all well and good for law makers, but Texans themselves have started taking the matter into their own hands, speaking out about the dangers of distracted driving and helping to educate all drivers about driving safely.

The first ever Texas Distracted Driving Summit was held in San Antonio and more than 2,000 people attended, included those injured in distracted driving related crashes and families of those killed in distracted driving related crashes.

Texas state lawmakers have said the matter is best left to municipalities and should not be a state wide issue. As a result, the city of Houston has some of the strictest regulations regarding the use of handheld devices by drivers. So does San Antonio.

Fortunately, those in favor of a state wide ban on distracted driving are finding their voice and speaking out against what they see as a serious threat to public safety–regardless of what their state legislators believe.

Houston personal injury lawyer Ben Bronston has seen many distracted driving cases and adamantly fights for those who have been in an accident due to distracted driving. “Governor Rick Perry vetoed House Bill 242 that would have banned cell phone use while driving in Texas, even though the legislation passed in both the House and the Senate. The Texas Distracted Driving Summit gave voice to a dangerous issue even after this legal defeat,” explains Houston auto accident attorney Ben Bronston. “Texans need to keep pushing to reform Texas distracted driving laws to protect the safety of drivers everywhere.”

During Distracted Driving Awareness month, several local, state and national organizations launched distracted driving awareness campaigns in an effort to increase awareness for motor vehicle safety and decrease auto accident fatalities. Since drivers between the ages of 16 to 20 years old lead in distracted driving fatalities among other groups, ahead of adult drivers ages 21 to 34, many campaigns target teens. This includes the “Distracted Driving Design Challenge,” by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and “Pledge to End Distracted Driving,” started by Joel Feldman, who lost his daughter to a distracted driver in 2009. Several of these organizations plan to keep adding to their safety campaigns and implementing new distracted driving campaigns throughout the year.