WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold a summit at the end of September to address the dangers of text-messaging and other distractions behind the wheel. Senior transportation officials, elected officials, safety advocates, law enforcement representatives, and academics will convene in Washington, D.C., to discuss ideas about how to combat distracted driving.

"If it were up to me, I would ban drivers from texting, but unfortunately, laws aren't always enough," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. "We've learned from past safety awareness campaigns that it takes a coordinated strategy combining education and enforcement to get results. That's why this meeting with experienced officials, experts, and law enforcement will be such a crucial first step in our efforts to put an end to distracted driving."

A number of deadly accidents involving text messaging behind the wheel have called attention to the dangerous problem of distracted driving. "The bottom line is, distracted driving is dangerous driving.  Following next month's summit, I plan to announce a list of concrete steps we will take to make drivers think twice about taking their eyes off the road for any reason," said LaHood.

For information and updates on next month's summit on distracted driving, visit: www.rita.dot.gov/distracted_driving_summit/.