The Louisiana Public Service Commission is encouraging motorists to use the hashtag symbol and the letter X in a text message before they get behind the wheel.

PSC Chairman Erik Skrmetta says that's the new social media mechanism to tell people, "I'm driving — don't text me."

"So when you get in your car and you don't want to get a text from somebody, before you start, (send) #X, and that should tell them not to text you until get back to them," Skrmetta said.

Skrmetta says he does a lot of driving in his 11-parish district, and he sees numerous people who do not have their hands on the wheel because they are too busy texting.

"You wouldn't want someone in your family to be injured by this," Skrmetta said.

The hashtag-X symbol is the latest national effort to get people to stop texting and driving. Skrmetta is asking Louisiana residents to take this pledge.

"Texting and driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving, and drinking and driving is incredibly dangerous," Skrmetta said. "So we need to find ways for people to take that pledge not to do it."

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