Texas hopes this giant traffic-cone snake will make you hit the brakes

ANTHONY, Texas - A giant snake made from old, beat up traffic cones is the latest piece of a Texas public art installation that aims to raise awareness for work zone safety.

The rattlesnake - whose name has yet to be determined - joins two other larger-than-life cone creatures, Safe-T-Rex and Work Zone Willy, at a Texas travel information center in Anthony, Texas, about 20 miles north of El Paso. 

Four maintenance workers from the Texas Department of Transportation created the recycled snake using cones that drivers have hit on the highways. It’s part of a larger effort to get drivers to slow down and pay more attention in construction and work zones.

RELATED: Distracted driving deaths up 17% statewide, AAA Texas says 

According to TxDOT, there were more than 26,000 crashes and 244 deaths in work zones in 2021 - a 33% increase in one year. More than 850 people were seriously injured. Of those 244 deaths, 195 were drivers and passengers, 38 were pedestrians and three were roadside construction workers.

Speeding and driver inattention were among the leading causes of work zone crashes, the agency said. 

Tips for driving through work zones

• Slow down.
• Pay attention to crews.
• Don't tailgate.
• Allow extra time to get where you're going.