April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Looking around on the road, there’s at least one person on their phone. According to The Law Office of Melinda J. Helbock A.P.C, 69% of people aged 18-64 admitted to using their phones while driving.

According to the Department of Transportation, 3,166 deaths were caused by distracted driving in 2017, and in 2018 it caused 4,637 deaths. The statistics are not getting much better.

“I don’t understand how people can think they can drive while looking at their phones,” senior Ian Reynhout said. “What’s the point of having a social life that’s always changing if you die while keeping up with it?”

Anything that takes the driver’s attention away from driving is considered distracted driving, including eating, texting talking on a phone and many more.

“I’m too paranoid of crashing to even touch my phone while driving,” senior Josh Rodack said.

Just texting alone requires the driver to focus their mental, physical and visual abilities–all of which are also required to drive efficiently. Texting can make a driving accident about 23 times more likely to happen, according to The Law Office of Melinda J. Helbock A.P.C.

According to a survey done by State Farm, 95% of drivers said they perceive texting and driving as distracting, yet 35% said they still do it. So why is it that people still decide to text and drive? In State Farm’s survey, 49% of people said they talk on their phones while driving because “it’s an efficient use of [their] time” and 35% said because they “want to keep in touch with family.”

“I keep my phone in my back seat so I can avoid accidents,” senior Marissa Chaplen said.

When it comes to driving, don’t even think about touching that phone. It could be the end.