Distracted Driving Awareness Month reminds motorists to put the phone down

That tell-tale ding and buzz of your phone catches your attention.  

It’ll just take a few seconds to read and send a reply, you might think as you’re driving. Or perhaps you’re running late to an appointment and so you’re scarfing down a cold sandwich while trying to steer with one hand. You’ve done it before and nothing bad happened. 

But consider this: In 2022 in Arizona, there were 57 fatalities in crashes attributed to distracted driving. 

That’s not an insignificant number. And these deaths were preventable. 

In 2022, there were 8,988 crashes on Arizona roadways attributed to distracted driving based on statewide crash reports collected by ADOT. And that number is likely an undercount because drivers may not admit they were distracted or because a distracted driver died in the crash.

Officially, April is designated Distracted Driving Awareness Month, but we should be vigilant every day of the year to reduce crashes due to distracted driving.

Beyond being unsafe for you, anyone in your car and those in nearby cars, the use of devices such as cell phones and tablets while driving is banned in Arizona. Under Arizona’s hands-free law, drivers can be subject to civil penalties and fines. The first violation will result in a fine between $75 and $149 and subsequent violations can be as much as $250, plus applicable surcharges.

And, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. If you’re traveling at 55 mph, that's like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

No email, text or song skip is worth your life. Keep your eyes on the road and just drive. Everything else can wait.