The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is kicking off its annual U Drive. U Text. U Pay campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while distracted.
The initiative, now in its ninth year, is targeting drivers aged 18 to 34 who, according to NHTSA data, are more likely to die in distraction-affected crashes than any other age group.
To coincide with the campaign launch, the NHTSA has also released new analysis of the 2021 fatal crash data which underscores the risk of distracted and other forms of risky driving. It revealed fatalities in distraction-affected crashes increased by 12 per cent from 3,154 in 2020 to 3,522 in 2021, a total of 8.2 per cent of all fatalities reported.
“These new data tell us just how much harm distracted driving can cause and why a nationwide campaign is more important than ever,” said Sophie Shulman, NHTSA’s Deputy Administrator. “We need to use all the tools we have to reduce distracted driving: state laws, education and outreach, and disabling of phones while driving can all work to save lives.”
