April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a chance for drivers to renew and reclaim their vow to drive safely and rediscover the importance of driving without distractions.
On any given day, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), nine people on average are killed in distracted driving crashes-with many of those crashes having needlessly occurred. Over the course of a year, that number of unnecessary accidents reaches into the thousands of people injured or killed each year.
Driving a vehicle requires a driver’s full attention.
When you’re behind the wheel, your only job is to drive!
Although many distractions are avoidable, some are impossible to completely prevent, according AAA, and instead, those distractions must be managed. Therefore, it is important to eliminate possible driving distractions prior to beginning a trip.
Many drivers do not realize that distracted driving takes many forms, from adjusting a radio or GPS to applying makeup, reacting to a person in the backseat or eating or drinking. However, it is cell phone use-specifically texting, talking or social media use- that is the most common driving distraction, with texting being the most dangerous type of distracted driving (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)).
In 2023, there were approximately 3,275 people killed and nearly 325,00 people injured in distracted driving crashes.
Although preventing all crashes is impossible, simply taking time to utilize the information below can lower or prevent the risk of a distracted driving crash from occurring.
Some of the best ways to avoid distracted driving include:
- Make adjustments before driving. This includes adjusting your seat, mirrors, climate controls and radio before starting your journey.
- Focus fully on driving. Put away anything that may divert attention from your sole activity as a driver. Turn off your phone or put it on silent. Actively scan the road and use your mirrors to watch out for possible cyclists or pedestrians.
- Know where you are going and exactly how to get there before setting off on a trip. If you get lost or get off track, pull off at the nearest driveway or parking lot and get your bearings before getting on the road again.
- Secure children and pets before driving. Reaching into the backseat can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle. Instead, pull off the road safely to assist or care for children or pets.
- Eat before, and not during, driving. The act of simply looking down or away from the road can be all the time needed for an accident to occur. Therefore, keep your eyes on the road continuously.
As a general rule, if a driver is not able to devote complete attention to driving for whatever reason, it’s a distraction. Do whatever is taking your attention prior to getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Take Action by asking your friends, coworkers, and family to take part in a pledge to not drive distracted. Be part of the solution.
Take the pledge. The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. Make the commitment to drive phone-free today.
- Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving.
- Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in the car is distracted.
- Encourage friends and family to drive phone-free.
Arrive Alive. For more information on ways to drive safely and encourage others to do the same, go to https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving.
