PA Drivers to Observe Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Pennsylvania just enacted its anti-texting law in March.  Now, Pennsylvania drivers will get additional incentive to adhere to the law – April has been designated National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

“The traffic safety community has a simple message for drivers: One Text or Call could Wreck it All,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood in his blog announcing National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), almost 25 percent of car crashes involve cell phone use.  In addition, approximately 1.3 million auto accidents each year can be attributed to cell phone usage while driving. The NSC also points out that distractions now join alcohol and speeding as leading factors in all automobile accidents. In a press release announcing the distracted driving campaign, the NSC asks all drivers to pledge: “I will not use my cell phone while driving in any way.”

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that while cell phones are the primary cause of distracted driving, if a driver’s mind is deeply focused on any topic, he or she is more likely to stare ahead with tunnel vision and not scan the periphery.

“Just because you have your eyes on the road doesn’t mean you have your mind on the road,” said study author Bryan Reimer in an interview with Wired.

Conversations with passengers, taking a sip of a drink and reaching for a tissue are all forms of distraction.  Focusing solely on driving is the best way to ensure you will arrive safely at your destination.

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month was established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2010. The resolution was drafted in memory of Erica Forney, a young girl who was killed by a distracted driver.

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys urge all Pennsylvania drivers to make April the month you put down your cellphone and stay focused while driving.

About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, including those injured in accidents that involve speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, aggressive driving and careless driving in hazardous weather conditions. The Pennsylvania personal injury law firm’s additional practice areas include trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, toxic chemicals, workplace injuries, nursing home litigation and other serious accidents. To contact the law firm, use the firm’s online contact form.