Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service - Mature Driver Program

Too hot for a Route 66 Road Trip? You can catch Route 66 cameos and spotlights in movies and TV. From "The Grapes of Wrath", "Route 66" "National Lampoon's Vacation" to "Easy Rider", "Cars" and many more, the mother road can be seen in many icon films. Which of these or other road trip films have you seen or do you enjoy?

Join us as we visit some famous Route 66 locations in Texas. As we continue down the road, remember, seatbelts are not just for Texas, but for every state!

Route 66 was created Nov. 11th, 1926 and runs from Chicago, Illinois to the Pier in Santa Monica, California, crossing 8 states along its path; Illinois, Missouri, Kansas (11 miles!), Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Route 66 also crosses or covers 5 Interstates I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15, and I-10.

Called the Mother Road, Main Street of America or the Will Roger's Highway, Route 66 traverses from the Midwest to the "Land of Milk and Honey" with the original intention of moving people out west for jobs and business development.

Our road trip has just begun, remember, seatbelts are for every state, not just Texas. Buckle up and join us again as we travel on down Route 66!

Monday, July 27th, 2026, Pam and Janet conducted a Traffic Safety Bingo program with the seniors of the Rockdale VFW in Milam county. The bingo prizes were handmade by local residents and donated for free. Thank you to Becka Trevino and Shannon Miller for reaching out and for organizing this event. There were 19 in attendance.

Traffic Safety Bingo Fact: G50 - Airbags work best when seat belts are used simultaneously.

Be sure to use your safety belt, each time, every time, no matter the distance you are traveling.

Today we start a drive down memory lane, a cruise down the mother road, classic Route 66 and the 178 it ventures across Texas. Did you know that Route 66 is celebrating its 100th birthday this year?

Where do you think Route 66 starts and ends? Where does it venture in Texas? What classic roadside attractions are famous from movies and TV Shows? Have you made the infamous Route 66 drive? Join us this week for trivia, traffic safety facts and more! Buckle up and stay hydrated, we have many miles to travel!

On Wednesday, July 22, Janet visited the Salado Senior Center in Salado, TX to deliver the Silver & Distracted presentation. This was our first time presenting here and we are thankful for this new partnership as the group was highly engaged throughout the program.

While many people immediately associate distracted driving with cell phone use, participants were surprised to learn about the many other common distractions that can affect driver safety, including interacting with passengers, adjusting the radio, and even drinking water while driving.

Following the presentation, Janet met with attendees to discuss additional traffic safety topics they would be interested in learning about during future programs. What would you be interested in hearing about in a traffic safety presentation?

Be Safe. Drive Smart.

Last week Ben Harper with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Watch UR BAC presented at the 2026 Traffic Safety Conference by Texas Department of Transportation. Ben, with co-host Veronica, discussed how to Identify Modern Alcohol and Drug Trends in Texas Communities and gave the startling fact that there are 1,400 McDonalds in Texas and 8,000 known and registered V**e Shops. Ben went on to discuss upcoming drug trends, types of concealment, and offered educational opportunities by the Watch Ur BAC Program for law enforcement and communities members.

Listening to the presentation reinforces the message of the last day of the conference, planning ahead can save your life and the lives of others. Drive Sober. No Regrets.

What's your flavor? From the classics of Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate to more exotics of bubble gum, matcha and lavender honey, Texans love their Ice Cream. National Ice Cream Day was created in 1984 by Ronald Regan, and is celebrated the 3rd Sunday in July. What is your favorite flavor? Do you prefer a scoop, in a cone or in a split?

And speaking of split, when you are heading off to find that delicious ice cream, don't speed and be a banana split! Ice cream can wait, but we don't want you to be a milk shake or end up whipped cream.

Slow down and arrive safe.

Emojis are a way to express our emotions through social media or texting, but when we are behind the wheel, we must keep our emotions in check. No matter the if it is anger, sadness, or extreme excitement, if we are experiencing intense emotions while we are behind the wheel, it can be just as dangerous as texting or any other form of distracted driving. Heightened feelings narrow your field of vision, slow your reaction times, and distract your brain from the task-intensive nature of safe driving. Distracted Driving is Dangerous Driving. Be Smart, Drive Safe.

What is your favorite Emoji? Drop it in the comments below!

Have you collected all of your letters? Are you ready to B...I...N....GO?!

The biggest reason we enjoy helping with BINGO and providing Traffic Safety Facts is we love to see the community that gathers at senior centers, churches, VFWs and more when these events take place. Staying active and actively involved is essential of seniors because it helps combat isolation, improves mental health through participating in fitness classes, arts and crafts, educational classes and BINGO. Thank you to the community educators and partners working with our seniors and us to keep our Mature Drivers moving down the road safely.

O71 - Most Texas crashes happen within 25 miles of home due to driver familiarity and complacency.

Be Safe and Drive Smart.

Yesterday, Wednesday, July 15th, 2026, Julia Davies, Program Manager for the Mature Driver Program and Michael Munson, Program Aid / Team Coordinator for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety KidSafe Initiatives co-presented "Reminders: We Use Them Everywhere Else" at the 2026 Texas Traffic Safety Conference hosted by Texas Department of Transportation. In this lively discussion, Michael and Julia discussed how we use reminders in our every day life, from our daily alarm clocks to when the garbage man may come, and how we can incorporate them into traffic safety messages. Attending programs like CarFit or Child Passenger Safety to get your CarSeat checked will help build reminders into your daily driving habits so that you are a safer driver, caregiver or a technician.

One initiative of both programs include training Law Enforcement and Community Members on these programs so that they know these resources are available, where to refer people for services, and become trained themselves. If you are interested in learning more about either program, please let us know.

Be Smart, Drive Safe.