April Is National Distracted Driving Month

As you may have noticed, traffic has dropped significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the roads have only gotten more dangerous.  Despite less people on the roads in 2020, crashes were up.  Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads.  On a typical day, more than 700 people are still injured in distracted driving crashes. According to AAA, distracted driving kills nine people every day in the U.S.

While drivers texting behind the wheel is one of the most common distractions, other risky actions include talking on a cell phone – even hands-free –or programming an in-vehicle infotainment system, applying makeup, eating food and more diverts attention away from driving.

Ways to help stop distracted driving.

• If you need to read, send, or respond to a text, pull over and park your car in a safe location.
• Have a passenger be your designated texter.  Allow them to respond to messages for you.
• Do not scroll through apps, including social media, while driving.  If you are struggling to not check your phone while driving, consider putting your phone out of reach until you reach your destination.  You can also place your phone on a do not disturb setting.