There are many activities that can increase the chances of being involved in a car accident. One of the things that greatly increases the chances of being involved in a car accident are distracted driving activities. Because accidents can cause serious injuries and even fatalities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration attempts to combat dangerous driving activities and make the roadways safer for everyone. The NHTSA’s latest campaign to combat dangerous driving focuses on distracted driving.

The campaign is called “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” The campaign hopes to make everyone aware of what distracted driving is and the dangers associated with it. The NHTSA defines distracted driving as any activity that takes a driver’s attention from the roadway. This means that distracted driving includes things such as texting and driving, eating while driving and changing the radio station, as these activities all take a driver’s attention away from the roads.

One of the biggest contributors to distracted driving, is driving while using a cell phone. Sending and reading text messages takes a driver’s attention off the roadways and puts them at much greater risk for being involved in an accident. In 2017 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents that involved distracted drivers who were using a cell phone at the time of the accident.

The NHTSA is partnering with state and local police for this campaign to help reduce distracted driving nationwide. The NHSTA encourages states and local law enforcement departments to help initiate ways that will reduce the amount of distracted driving. We should all work together to make the roadways safer by eliminating things that will take our attention away from the roadways while driving. By putting your full attention on the roadway you help keep the the roadways safer for all.