The aim of Distracted Driver Awareness Month, which the state is marking right now, is to convince motorists to put away those cellphones and other distractions and devote their full attention to getting from point A to point B, keeping themselves and others safe.
“Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing safety issues on the roads today,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “Distracted drivers aren’t just a threat to themselves; they’re a danger to everyone else on the road. The national distracted driving effort focuses on ways to change the behavior of drivers through legislation, enforcement, public awareness and education.”
Distracted driving plays a role in an average of 197 fatal crashes in the state and more than 14,000 crashes that resulted in an injury each year, the Maryland Department of Transportation reports.
So far this year, there have been 75 people who have died as a result of motor vehicle crashes in Maryland.
Here in Southern Maryland, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, there were an average of 1,030 crashes that resulted in an injury and involved distracted driving each year from 2019-2023. And, on average, 16 people died each of those years in the region as a result of these types of crashes.
Potentially deadly distractions include tending to children, shaving or putting on makeup, eating and reading. But using cellphones or other electronic devices is especially distracting.
A typical text takes just five seconds to write and send. But in five seconds, a car traveling at 55 mph will travel the length of a football field. With your attention off the road, it’s like driving that distance while blindfolded.
Maryland drivers can be ticketed for writing, sending or reading a text or electronic message with a handheld phone while driving.
Tickets for distracted driving start at $83 and the penalty is severe if you drive distracted and cause a crash that results in another person’s injury or death.
Under Jake’s Law, any driver who causes serious injury or death while using a handheld cellphone or texting may receive a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to $5,000.
The simple solution, according to the state’s transportation department, is to always pay attention while driving.
MDOT’s Maryland Transportation Authority Police are playing a vital role in statewide enforcement efforts. Other partners, including the Maryland State Police and numerous local and county agencies, are supporting the initiative as well.
The enforcement effort will complement a monthlong statewide media effort. Messages will be broadcast on radio stations and will be seen on social media, websites and billboards.
And, the annual Highway Safety Summit presented by the MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office will be back in person this year from April 19-21 at the Baltimore Convention Center. For more, visit zerodeathsmd.gov.
But we shouldn’t need radio broadcasts and blinking highway signs to remind us to use common sense and be mindful of our safety and that of others on the road. Put away the phone, and just drive.
