Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Put Away the Phone or Pay
Did you know that April is Distracted Driving Awarneness Month, or maybe you were too busy looking at your phone while you were waiting at traffic light or negotiating a turn? Or maybe it wasn't your phone that took your eyes off the road for a few seconds but rather your focus was on GPS driving directions or mucking with the radio too long?
Whatever it was, remember that when you're behind the wheel, you're number one priority above any and all other things is control of your vehicle and being aware of your what's happening around you. Even a conversation with passenger can be distracting at times.
The National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA) this month launched its latest campaign to combat distracted driving, Put the Phone Away or Pay. The national high-visibility enforcement campaign, which runs during April since it's Distracted Driving Awareness Month, reminds drivers of the deadly dangers and the legal consequences of distracted driving and is supported by increased law enforcement.
New data from the NHTSA show that more than 3,300 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022. That's equivalent to the entire populations of most small towns in New Jersey, such as Pohatcong in Warren County, Spring Lake in Monmouth County, or any number of small towns in Bergen County, like Moonachie or South Hackensack. In addition to those fatalities, an estimated 289,310 people were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers. That's about the same number of people who live Sussex and Hunterdon Counties combined.
In New Jersey specifically, distracted driving was listed as a contributing factor in 170 fatalities in 2022, according to the State Police. The Garden State saw traffic fatalities decline by more than 10 percent between 2022 and 2023, among a dozen states with a fatality rate of less than 1 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
People who are walking, cycling or otherwise outside a vehicle are especially vulnerable to being in danger from distracted drivers, according to the NHTSA. In 2022, 621 vulnerable road users were killed in distraction-affected traffic crashes.