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April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we will highlight various forms of distractions that can occur behind the wheel and how dangerous they can be. Distracted driving is considered any activity that diverts your attention from driving with the most common being texting while driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. By not paying attention to the roadway, you can not properly observe and react to a potential hazard.

In 2020, 3,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers nationwide (NHSTA). You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention.

When behind the wheel, put your phone away and save the message for later. If you must send a text, wait until you’ve pulled over to a safe location. Let’s all do our part to make our roads safer for all Louisianans.