April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Idaho State Police and it’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Division are joining law enforcement agencies and traffic safety partners nationwide to remind drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.
In 2023 alone, 3,275 lives were lost in crashes involving distracted drivers. That’s 8% of all fatal crashes—each one a preventable tragedy. Over the past decade, more than 32,000 people have died in distracted driving-related crashes.
Distracted driving includes anything that diverts your attention from the task of driving—texting, talking on the phone, eating, adjusting the radio, or even chatting with passengers. These are just a few examples of what constitutes distracted driving, with texting remaining the most alarming distraction.
ISP is offering several tips to avoid distracted driving, including: Pulling over and parking if you need to send a message; use your phone’s Do Not Disturb feature while driving; assign a passenger to handle calls and messages; speak up if someone is driving distracted; and finally, lead by example by putting your phone down every time you drive.
