April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.
Image: Distracted.gov
According to distraction.gov, distracted driving statistics paint a grim picture: In 2014, an estimated 3,179 people were killed and an additional 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Although law enforcement has stepped up enforcement, distracted driving continues to be a dangerous driving behavior.
But texting isn’t the only culprit in driving distractions. Common behaviors include, grooming, eating, drinking, using your smart phone for directions or other types of browsing, all of which will be monitored and ticketed. The NJ campaign focuses on texting and driving because it is considered especially dangerous since it requires three types of attention: visual, manual, and cognitive. It’s becoming very clear now that taking your eyes and attention away from the road, and your hands off the wheel is dangerous in several ways!
Here are a few tips to help keep you and others on the road safe. Just pull over to a safe location when:
- Taking a phone call or texting
- Grooming (putting on make-up, fixing your hair, shaving, etc.)
- Eating
- When you’re looking for directions on your smart phone
- Trying to get your favorite radio station
- Checking your Facebook status (it can’t be that urgent)
Remember, it can all wait until you can safely pull over. It’s just not worth risking your life, or the life of an innocent person.
To learn more about the dangers of distracted driving, please see the following sources:
Nsc.org , distracteddrivingaccidents.com, distraction.gov, trafficsafetymarketing.gov.