April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As part of its efforts to prevent distracted driving and enhance road safety, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program is teaming up with the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind drivers to prioritize safe road practices and avoid distractions while driving with this clear message: “Don’t Drive Distracted. Eyes Forward.”
Distracted driving involves cell phone use or any activity that takes attention away from the task of driving. It’s risky driving behavior that endangers everyone on the road, from the distracted driver and other drivers, to passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
In 2022, there were 1,860 distracted driving crashes in West Virginia, 835 injuries, and four fatalities.
According to NHTSA, 15,960 people died and around 1.8 million people were injured in distraction-affected crashes over the five-year period from 2018 to 2022. In 2022 alone, there were 3,308 people killed in traffic crashes involving at least one distracted driver, 8 percent of all traffic fatalities that year. An estimated additional 289,310 people were injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022.
“The bottom line is distracted driving can be prevented,” said Jack McNeely, director of the GHSP. “Drivers can prioritize safe driving by keeping their hands on the wheel, their eyes on the road, and their focus on driving,” continued McNeely.
Steps for a safe drive include the following:
- If a text message is expected or needs to be sent and can’t wait, the driver should pull over and park their vehicle in a safe location before using the phone.
- Ask a passenger to be the “designated texter,” and give them access to a person’s phone to respond to calls or messages.
- Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.
- Listen to one’s passengers: If they see a person texting while driving and tell one to put the phone away, put it down.
- Cell phone use is habit-forming. If struggling to not text and drive, drivers can activate their phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, silence notifications, or put their phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of the vehicle until they arrive at their destination.
Cell phone use while driving is dangerous. Break the cycle. Remember “Don’t Drive Distracted. Eyes Forward.” Help save lives and be an example to others by committing to that message.
For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving.
For more information on the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
