The NHTSA is Calling out Distracted Drivers

April is distracted driving month in the U.S., and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is pulling out all the stops to call out distracted drivers. The NHTSA has taken to Twitter to monitor and respond to tweets of drivers who think it is okay to text and drive. The campaign, as part of Distracted Driving Awareness month, lets’ drivers know that it’s not okay to text and drive.

The statistics in the U.S. regarding distracted driving are a concern to such organizations as the NHTSA. In 2014, there were 431,000 injuries attributed to collisions involving distracted drivers. There were also 3,179 people killed as a result of distracted driving.

According to the U.S. Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx,

“In the blink of an eye, lives can be transformed forever”

The NHTSA wants to let drivers know about the dangers when in comes texting, snap chatting, updating social platforms and driving. The NHTSA wants drivers to put down their phones and concentrate on driving. The NHTSA tweeted the following message to a driver in response to their Snapchat video while driving,

“Not smart. For Everyone’s sake (including your own) don’t snap and drive. Seriously, it’s not worth it. #JustDrive.”

The goal of the NHTSA’s campaign is to communicate with young drivers in their space, inclusive of Twitter to make them aware of their actions have consequences. The NHTSA also recognizes that young drivers lack experience in driving, and any distraction that takes their eyes off the road can be detrimental.

Governing Body Speaks Directly To Teen Distracted Drivers

The tweet responses by the NHTSA encourage drivers who are engaged in cellphone use while driving to put their phones down. The NHTSA has communicated with teens, sending messages such as the one below to remind teen drivers to avoid distractions.

“Sounds like you’re off to a pretty bad start, (@ twitter handle). Seriously, put the phone down and #justdrive.”

Distracted driving continues to dominate the headlines as a cause of fatalities and collisions, with a particular focus on teen drivers. At Young Drivers of Canada, we teach our students of all ages, that driving while distracted has consequences. Students at Young Drivers are taught to turn off the cellphone and put it away to avoid any temptation. For more tips on how to avoid distracted driving, visit,
https://www.yd.com/blog/quick-tips-avoid-distracted-driving/