PENNDOT

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in recognizing April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and reminds all motorists driving is a skill requiring their undivided attention.

Distracted driving is any action drawing attention away from the safe operation of a vehicle. There are three types of driver distractions: visual, causing drivers to take their eyes off the road; manual, causing drivers to take their hands off the wheel and cognitive, causing drivers to take their mind off the road.

One dangerous activity involving all three types of distraction - texting - has been addressed through the state’s anti-texting law, which took effect in March 2012. The law prohibits text-based communication while driving and makes texting while driving a primary offense carrying a $50 fine.

According to PennDOT data, more than 14,800 crashes involved a distracted driver in Pennsylvania in 2015, with 66 deaths in those crashes. Over the past five years, over 11 percent of Pennsylvania crashes involved a driver distraction, resulting in more than 300 fatalities statewide.

To help avoid distractions while driving, PennDOT recommends drivers follow these safety tips:

•Store or turn off cell phones while driving. If you must make an emergency call, safely pull to the side of the road.

•If traveling alone, set your GPS, radio and temperature controls before beginning your trip.

•If traveling with pets, be sure they are properly restrained. Better yet, leave them at home. Even a minor crash can result in a major injury to a pet if it is not properly restrained.

•Never operate your vehicle and attend to a child at the same time.

•If you drop an object while driving, leave it until you reach your destination or pull safely to the side of the road before retrieving it.

For more information on distracted driving and the state’s anti-texting law, visit www.justdrivepa.org and look under “Traffic Safety Information.”