Bellaire HS grad now helps keep Texas roadways safe

In this week’s I am HISD, which features HISD students, graduates, and employees, Bellaire HS graduate Deidrea Samuels talks about how she became a public information officer for TxDOT, what got her interested in the field of communications, and why she will never text behind the wheel again.

How did you come to be a public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT)?

It started as far back as when I was at Bellaire High School. I took a journalism class my senior year, and that was the start of me knowing that I wanted to work in communications. When I graduated from Sam Houston State with a degree in that field, I started working at TxDOT in traffic operations/traffic safety and then was hired as a spokesperson a few years later.

You were recently featured on the cover of the January/February 2013 edition of TN magazine, an internal publication for TXDOT employees. How did you feel when you found out?

I was pretty excited! But Tyra Banks I am not! It was certainly an honor, though, to be chosen as the first woman on the cover in 38 years. The opportunity to use the article as a platform to spread our Talk.Text.Crash. Distracted Driving Campaign message even further was the best part.

The article talks about how you became an advocate against distracted driving, and your efforts to get TX DOT employees to pledge not to text while behind the wheel. What spurred that campaign?

I lost a friend of mine to distracted driving. It made me realize that something that I used to do so casually in the car—sending a text message, checking emails, updating my Facebook status—changed his life and the life of his family forever in a matter of seconds. And what was so tragic is that it could have easily been prevented. Now I make it a point to get into schools, because the pain I saw on his wife’s face is something that I would never want anyone else to experience.

You give presentations to students?

Yes. I give them at all levels, but I really like to target high schools, because I’m always very interested to hear what teenagers have to say about why they choose to text and drive. They feel invincible, but in reality, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. When you tie texting and driving in with the fact that teenagers are also the most inexperienced drivers on the road, that can be a recipe for disaster. I just want to help them see that they don’t have to text and drive.

How can interested principals set up a presentation for their campuses?

Just send me an email (deidrea.samuels@txdot.gov) and say you would like me to speak with your students about distracted driving. We also do presentations on “Click It or Ticket” (a safety belt-wearing campaign) and drunk driving.

Were you disappointed when Governor Perry vetoed the bill that would have made texting illegal?

Personally, of course, because I feel so strongly about the issue and am familiar with the facts. But it’s about more than just me knowing the facts. One of my duties as a spokesperson is to educate, not advocate, to make sure that people know how serious distracted driving is. They’re not going to talk to their elected representatives unless they know the facts.

What advice would you give to students?

I know that to them, Facebook-ing, texting, and checking emails are important, but when getting behind the wheel, know that getting to your destination safely is more important than updating a status could ever be.

If you know an HISD graduate, student, or employee who should be featured in I am HISD, please email us at info@houstonisd.org.