For some drivers needing a Texas license after September 1, there's a new course that you'll have to take.

Without it, you can't get a license!

Anyone between 18 and 24 that needs a new Texas driver's license after September 1st, will have to take a distracted driving course.  Those with existing driver's licenses won't have to take the course, but anyone that moves to Texas and applies for a license will have to take the time to take the hour-long course, and teens getting a license for the first time will have to make sure that's checked off the list too.

The “Impact Texas Young Drivers” course, is the second one in a series created by the Department of Public Safety.  The first video also highlights the dangers of distracted driving, and is came out in 2015, designed for teens between 15 and 17.  The new video is for those who are 18 to 24.  Those 25 and older aren't required to take the course, but DPS says it's highly recommended.

And there's a third course coming.  DPS says the “Impact Texas Adult Drivers” course for drivers 25 and older, will be announced in 2018.  We're all going to be taking these free, one-hour courses soon.

Distracted driving isn't all about cell phones, although they're the biggest culprit for taking our eyes off the road.  The video uses true stories to cover other ways that drivers tend to multi-task, and shows how dangerous that can be.

The new texting and driving ban goes into effect in Texas on September 1, and police will start passing out tickets shortly after that.  So if it's tempting to text from the front seat, we need to be phonin' a friend and getting a designated driver in place.  Texas is serious about keeping us safe on the roads.

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