Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Categories:: Cause
Tags:: Awareness
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every April
Holiday emoji:: 📵

Distracted Driving Awareness Month dedicates the entire month of April to highlighting the dangers of unfocused driving. Commit to putting away your phone, avoiding risky behaviors, and encouraging others to drive safely to prevent tragic accidents.

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Expected Distracted Driving Awareness Month Deals

Throughout Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the focus shifts from commercial deals to crucial awareness and fundraising campaigns. Organizations like the National Safety Council (NSC) and NHTSA partner with corporations such as AT&T and State Farm to promote educational initiatives, often featuring public service announcements and community events. Expect insurance companies like GEICO to highlight safety tips and potentially offer resources for safe driving pledges. Many campaigns encourage donations to support research and advocacy efforts against distracted driving. We will update this page with confirmed live campaigns as April approaches.

Platform Guide for Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Tag National Today (linkedin.com/company/nationaltoday) and use #DistractedDrivingAwarenessMonth. Share workplace safety policies and encourage professional networks to commit to distraction-free driving.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #DistractedDrivingAwarenessMonth. Participate in live chats, share alarming statistics, and retweet safety tips from official organizations like NHTSA.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #DistractedDrivingAwarenessMonth. Post personal pledges, share educational videos, and invite friends and family to join local awareness events.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month Hero

National Safety Council (NSC)

While no single individual is credited with founding Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the National Safety Council (NSC) has been a pivotal force in its establishment and ongoing promotion. Since its founding in 1913, the NSC has championed safety in all aspects of life, with a significant focus on road safety. Their advocacy and educational campaigns have been instrumental in bringing the dangers of distracted driving to national attention, leading to the designation of April as a dedicated awareness month.

History of Distracted Driving Awareness Month

To understand the history behind Distracted Driving Awareness Month, one can’t ignore the story of Shelley Forney. On November 25, 2008, Shelley’s life was completely changed when a driver made the mistake of looking at their cell phone whilst in control of an SUV. Shelley’s nine-year-old daughter Erica was riding her bike home, just 15 pedals away when she was struck by the SUV head-on. Erica passed away two days later on Thanksgiving Day.

At the time, distracted driving was hardly covered in any media, let alone described as a pandemic. And while the average person suffering the unthinkable might curl into a ball of pain, Shelley decided to do the opposite. She knew that the story of Erica was avoidable, and if she could tell her story to enough people, it would save another person from having to live through the grief her family had to. Shelley went on to become an independent contract safety speaker and founded a distracted driving advocacy group named Focus Driven. She would continue to speak to audiences for the next ten years, appearing on Oprah, Larry King Live, and many other shows and events. Erica’s story caught the attention of Representative Betsy Markey, and in early 2010, she was invited to Washington DC to speak at a safety conference.

Stories like Shelley’s are far too common and entirely avoidable in today’s society. In 2018 4,637 people died in car crashes due to cell phone and electronic device use. This month is our effort to shrink that number significantly, you could be saving a life. So please join us this month and make an extra effort to avoid using our phones while on the road and make our roads a safer place to be.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month timeline

2020

Google releases driverless cars

Google plans to release cars with an “auto-pilot” for the public (the machine uprising will most likely follow shortly after).

1911

Rear View Mirrors Invented

Ray Harroun utilized the first rear-view mirror during a race so he could see which cars were catching up to him.

1908

Ford Brings Cars to the Masses

Henry Ford kick-started the concept of an assembly line building Model T's: the establishment of mass produced vehicles made cars accessible for the common folk.

1895

First car race won

The first car race took place in America and was won by two former bicycle mechanics: Charles Duryea and J. Frank.

1886

Automobile is invented

The first car was invented in Germany by Carl Benz—his wife, Bertha proceeded to “borrow” it to drive her and her two sons to Pforzheim from Mannheim, proving cars could drive over longer distances than just short stints.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Local businesses can play a vital role in Distracted Driving Awareness Month by implementing and promoting safe driving policies for their employees. Consider running internal campaigns with safety pledges, offering incentives for distraction-free commutes, and sharing educational resources from organizations like the NSC or NHTSA. Restaurants and service providers can display posters or digital messages reminding customers to drive safely. Partner with local law enforcement for community events or sponsor school programs to educate young drivers on the dangers of distracted driving.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month FAQs

When is Distracted Driving Awareness Month?

In 2027, Distracted Driving Awareness Month will again be observed throughout April, with a renewed focus on prevention campaigns and encouraging drivers to commit to distraction-free roads.

How many lives are lost to distracted driving each year?

The human cost of distracted driving remains a critical concern, with thousands of fatalities reported annually. For 2027, awareness efforts will emphasize that these deaths are entirely preventable, urging drivers to put safety first.

How widespread is distracted driving?

Despite widespread awareness, distracted driving continues to be a significant problem on roads across the nation. In 2027, educational programs will aim to shift behavior by emphasizing the real-time risks and consequences.

What are the main types of distracted driving?

Distracted driving encompasses any activity that diverts attention from the primary task of driving. This includes using a cell phone, eating, grooming, interacting with passengers, or adjusting vehicle controls, all of which pose risks in 2027.

How to Observe Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Drive responsibly
Duh. We don’t care if your friend has to wait until you get home to find out whether or not you’re going to Josh’s party. We would much rather you stay alive to go said party.
Listen to music, podcasts, or audio books
What a great alternative to handicapping yourself with texting! Jamming out to your tunes or listening to an epic fight scene is much more entertaining than discussing what you want for dinner anyway.
Take a roadtrip with friends
Not only is this a fun way to bond, but your friends are actually there. Plus, it's rude to text while visiting with people.

5 FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE TEXTING AND DRIVING

You’re at a huge risk
Text messaging increases the risk of crash or near-crash by 23 times.
Teens are at a huge risk
The fatal crash rate for teens is 3 times greater than for drivers age 20 and over
Teens are not better at texting
Driver distraction is responsible for more than 58% of teen crashes.
Most people are hazards
Over 80% of drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior while driving, such as changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails, or even shaving.
5 seconds is a long time
Sending or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds, long enough to cover a football field while driving at 55 mph

Why Distracted Driving Awareness Month is Important

Texting and swerving
People who text and drive statistically spend 10% of their time on the road outside their lane. Yikes.
It’s illegal
43 of America’s 50 states have laws prohibiting texting and driving. South Dakota, New Mexico, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri have laws regulating it. Arizona just extended their reckless driving laws to cover texting.
Texting is worse than drunk driving
Texters are six times more likely to wreck their car than drivers over the legal drinking limit. How horrifying is that? Answer: Very.