Highway safety program warns about distracted driving

Danielle Sandler
·2 min read

CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

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The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP), along with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is sharing an important message for this campaign: Put the Phone Away or Pay.

People who drive distracted is dangerous and can kill themselves or others around them. According to the NHSTA, in 2022, 3,308 people alone were killed in fatal car crashes because of distracted drivers. More than 289,000 people were injured. Distracted driving also killed more than 32,000 people between the years of 2012 and 2021.

A majority of drivers will use their phones while driving and think nothing of it, but trouble can ensue when your eyes are taken off the road while driving distracted.

“While distracted driving, particularly texting while driving, has been at the forefront of highway safety for decades, it is bothersome that people still ignore the tragic consequences. Young people learn a lot from others. I implore all parents to set a good example while behind the wheel. Your most precious cargo is watching,” said GHSP Director Jack McNeely.

If you feel that you must use your phone and cannot resist the urge, you have many options:

  • Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode.

  • Place your phone in your glove compartment, trunk, or back seat.

  • Get another passenger in the car to be a “designated texter.”

  • In the case of receiving an important text, pull over off the road and park your car in a safe location before you read or respond to that text.

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Using a handheld phone in West Virginia to text while driving is illegal. Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who violate this law. So remember the slogan: Put the Phone Away or Pay.

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