April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and AAA is urging drivers to tune into driving while tuning out distractions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 13 percent of distraction-related every year involve cell phone usage. AAA says in Kansas in 2023, 102 people died and more than 450 people were injured in crashes due to distracted driving.
AAA Kansas Public and Government Affairs Manager Shawn Steward says there’s always cognitive distractions where people want to check their phone at a stoplight or especially at highway speed. Steward says it takes time for people’s brains to refocus on driving after a distraction.
AAA introduced the campaign a few years ago, “Don’t Drive Intoxicated, Don’t Drive Intexticated”. Steward says the campaign is designed to get the point across that texting while driving is just as serious as driving intoxicated because it affects people’s impairment and focus to operate a car safely.
AAA encourages all motors to eliminate distracted driving by putting the phone away, plan your route before leaving, pulling over, asking passengers for help, be a safe-minding passenger, don’t be a distraction and activate the Do Not Disturb setting on your smartphone.
