Apr 23, 2022 3 min read

Don’t read this while you’re driving.

Of course, it makes total sense that you shouldn’t be trying to read this, or “War and Peace,” or a text message while you are behind the wheel of a conveyance that is hurtling down the highway at 70 mph. But there are plenty of other seemingly inconsequential ways to be distracted while you’re driving that can have fatal consequences for you, your passengers, pedestrians or other drivers. Trying to tame unruly children, carrying on an animated conversation, or changing the radio station to get away from the song you just can’t tolerate are all common ways drivers are distracted and end up in accidents.

April is National Distracted Driver Awareness Month, and everyone from AAA to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association and the U.S. Department of Transportation has been sounding the alarm about distracted driving. They have good reason. Deaths on America’s streets and highways have been heading up over the last couple of years after decades of declines, and one of the culprits is drivers taking their eyes off the road for a couple of seconds or longer. The National Safety Council has pinpointed distraction as being a factor in as many as a quarter of all crashes.

Some other facts to consider: In 2020, more than 3,000 people were killed in crashes caused by distracted driving. Almost 20% of those were drivers between the ages of 25 and 35. In the same year, there were 480 pedestrians, 83 cyclists and 14 other individuals who were not occupants of vehicles.

Distracted driving is “a plague on our roads” and “a public health calamity,” according to Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. Theresa Podguski, AAA East Central’s director of legislative affairs, said, “Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing traffic safety threats. Any distraction, whether it’s texting, or talking to a passenger, takes a motorist’s attention away from the road and can have dangerous consequences.”

Drivers in Pennsylvania are subject to fines if they text while driving, although they are allowed to talk on cellphones, whether of the hand-held or hands-free variety. Other states prohibit the use of hand-held phones, including all the states that border Pennsylvania with the exception of Ohio. While penalties and public awareness campaigns can help reduce distracted driving, people also need to take responsibility for themselves and pay attention when they are driving. That includes putting aside electronic devices, putting the phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode, taking care of personal grooming before getting behind the wheel, adjusting the air conditioning and mirrors before taking off and encouraging passengers to keep the horsing around to a minimum.

Oh, and wait until getting home before wading through “War and Peace.”