April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and General Motors (GM) has announced it will issue a new report which aims to “make attentive driving the norm.”
Supported by GM, GHSA is expected to release the report this year, which will examine data collection and other distracted driving challenges, and identify actions that State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and their partners can take to effectively address them.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported earlier this month that 3,142 people died in distraction-related crashes in the U.S. in 2020, accounting for 8.1 percent of roadway fatalities.
Additionally, another 400,000 people are injured each year in distraction-related crashes.
“Look around and you’ll see distracted drivers everywhere – it’s a safety epidemic,” said GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins.
“This unique collaboration will shine a light on this problem and help advance one of the core principles outlined in the US Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which calls for safer people by encouraging safer behaviors. Making attentive driving the norm will benefit everyone on the road.”
The GHSA has reminded drivers that while cell phones and texting are common causes of distraction anything that takes drivers’ eyes and attention off the road, even for a second – changing the radio, eating or drinking, and personal grooming – is a distraction.
