April is designated as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and encourages drivers to avoid distractions behind the wheel.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.
Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
In 2022, 3,308 people were killed and nearly 290,000 people were injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers, according to NHTSA. Furthermore, since 2007, NHTSA says drivers 16 to 24 years old have been distracted by devices at higher rates than other drivers.
Consider these tips for safe driving:
- If you have to text, pull over to a safe location and park your car — only then should you read or send the text message.
- Distracted driving isn’t just texting, scrolling through social media or messaging while driving is distracted driving too.
- Appoint your passenger as the “designated texter” to respond to calls or messages.
- Activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, silence notifications or put your phone away in the backseat or trunk so you won’t be tempted to respond.
- Speak up if you see someone texting and driving and ask them to put their phone away.
For more information, visit the distracted driving section of the NHTSA website.