Distracted Driving
Pay Attention or Pay the Price
Using a cell phone while driving creates enormous potential for deaths and injuries on U.S. roads. In 2022, of the 906 Fatal injuries in the State of Louisiana, 364 (40.18%) were associated with distracted or inattentive driving. For statistics about distracted driving in Northeast Louisiana, click here.
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment, or navigation system, anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.
Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.
The Law
Your state legislature and governor make the laws regarding distracted driving. Many states now have laws against texting, talking on a cell phone, and other distractions while driving. You can visit the Governors Highway Safety Association to learn about the laws in your state.
A PDF chart of State Distracted Driving Laws is available for download.
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Young Drivers
Teens’ inexperience behind the wheel makes them more susceptible to distraction behind the wheel. Research has found that dialing a phone number while driving increases your teen’s risk of crashing by six times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times. Talking or texting on the phone takes your teen’s focus off the task of driving, and significantly reduces their ability to react to a roadway hazard, incident, or inclement weather.
Distracted driving can take on many forms beyond texting and talking on the cell phone. Many teens may try to use their driving time to eat their morning breakfast or drink coffee, to apply makeup, or to change the radio station. Many teens are distracted by the addition of passengers in the vehicle. Any distraction is a dangerous distraction. Taking eyes off the road even for five seconds could cost a life.
What Can You Do?
- Talk to your teen.
- Familiarize yourself with your state’s graduated driver licensing law, and enforce its guidlines.
- Set consequences for distracted driving. Create a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement like this one from the CDC.
- Set the example by keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel while driving.
Learn more about teen safe driving from the CDC and NHTSA.
View the Distracted Driving 2024 Action Plan
DISTRACTED DRIVING TEAM LEADERS
Trooper Ian Dollins
LSP Troop F, CPS Technician
Shelby Rybicki
North Delta Planner, CPS Technician
Trooper Ryan Davis
LSP Troop F PIO & DRE
