By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
Every year, thousands lose their lives on America’s roadways because a driver diverted their attention away from their driving.
"Mobile phones are the obvious top contender, in terms of most distracting element while you are driving," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "We all see it. We all probably take a look at our phone or do something on our phone while we're driving, but there's also eating and drinking, talking with passengers in your vehicle, distractions outside the vehicle. There's so many different things that can take your focus off of driving."
April marks National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
"Researchers found that, while only two seconds of distraction doubles the crash risk, it takes a driver 40 seconds to program a navigation system using in-vehicle technology," Steward said. "Even if your going 25 miles an hour, a driver can travel the length of four football fields during the time it takes to enter a destination on a navigation screen."
About 13% of distraction-related crashes every year involve confirmed use of a smartphone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
"Federal government crash statistics from 2022, the latest ones available, there were 3,300 people killed and an additional 289,000 people injured in crashes involving distracted drivers."
In Kansas, preliminary 2023 data shows 102 people died, and more than 450 people were injured in crashes due to distracted driving.