Advocates highlight Distracted Driving Awareness Month

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- If a driver takes their eyes off the roadway for a quick moment, it could turn deadly. Advocates and lawmakers are recognizing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

In North Carolina this year there have been 30 fatal distracted driving incidents. Last year there were 147 fatal distracted driving crashes, and in 2023 there were 132 people died from distracted driving.

Distracted driving includes using your cell phone, eating, playing with the radio, or dealing with a pet or children in the back seat. Any time a driver takes their eyes off the road is considered 'distracted driving'.

"It is very important that people pay attention to the act of driving. Even though it's something that we engage in several times every day, it's still complicated behavior when you take your eyes and your mind off the road and concentrate on something else. It takes several seconds for the mind to then wander back to the act of driving and by that time, if you're going 65 miles an hour, you've traveled a considerable distance," said Mark Ezzell, North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program.

Experts says it's not just teens or young adults who are prone to distractions while driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, five distracted seconds at the speed of 55 mph is the same as driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed. About 39% of drivers in the United States say they text or email while driving is, according to research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.