In 2024 alone, 3,208 people were killed and 315,167 people were injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. Every April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) holds Distracted Driving Awareness Month to remind road users to focus on the road and not drive distracted.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention from safe driving, including:
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Talking or texting on cell phones
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Eating and drinking
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Talking to people inside the vehicle
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Manipulating audio or navigation systems
Distracted Driving Awareness Month allows us an opportunity to learn about the consequences of distracted driving and how we can prevent this dangerous behavior. Crash data from 2024 found that distracted driving played a factor in eight percent of fatal crashes and 13 percent of injury crashes.
NHTSA offers the following tips for those driving:
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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.
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Distracted driving isn’t just texting, scrolling through social media or messaging while driving is distracted driving too.
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Appoint your passenger as the “designated texter” to respond to calls or messages.
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Activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, silence notifications, or put your phone away in the trunk so you won't be tempted to respond.
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Speak up if you see someone texting and driving and ask them to put their phone away.
Take the pledge today to stop driving distracted and remember: your phone can wait, safe driving can’t.