By Sarah Roebuck
WASHINGTON — Distracted driving poses a major highway safety challenge in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distractions contribute to nearly 29% of all U.S. traffic accidents.
In 2021, approximately 12,405 fatalities were linked to crashes involving distracted drivers. Although there are various forms of distracted driving, smartphones are a significant factor, according to the National Distracted Driving Coalition (NDDC).
To combat this issue, the NDDC is highlighting a crucial smartphone feature today on National Do Not Disturb While Driving Day, a yearly event that encourages drivers to turn on the “do not disturb” function of their cellphones to help limit distractions and the associated crash risk.
“My son, Mitchel, was killed by a young lady who chose to watch Snapchat instead of watching the road,” said Steve Kiefer, chairman of the Kiefer Foundation and NDDC steering committee member. “Our message is simple: When you are behind the wheel, put your phone down and just drive. Enabling this feature on your device is easy and will eliminate the temptation of looking at your phone while driving, as notifications will be blocked, and the sender can even receive an automated message indicating that you will respond when it is safe to do so. I promise those notifications will be there when you get where you’re going. If the driver that killed my son had her phone on Do Not Disturb, Mitchel might be here today.”
RELATED | Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder on roadway safety
“Every year, firefighters, EMTs, police officers, not to mention tow-truck operators and public works folks, are killed or injured when operating on the highway. How do we convince chiefs of the importance of holding classes on Highway Safety or Traffic Incident Management when responding to traffic incidents?” In the video below, Goldfeder gives his response to this question:
The “do not disturb while driving” feature, which silences notifications and sends automatic replies when activated, is underused, with only 20% of drivers who know about it using it regularly. The NDDC recommends enabling this feature automatically to enhance safety, as phone use while driving can increase crash risks by 2 to 6 times, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
First responders affected by distracted drivers
Distracted driving is a long-standing problem that affects first responders.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) reports that motor vehicle accidents are the primary cause of work-related fatalities in the United States.
The report goes on to reference three important statistics regarding first responder traffic-related incidents:
- During the period from 2013 to 2018, motor vehicle crashes accounted for 49% of all EMS provider fatalities (Bureau of Labor Statistics [2019]).
- From 2010 to 2020, motor vehicle crashes were responsible for the deaths of 98 firefighters (U.S. Fire Administration [2022]).
- Additionally, between 2011 and 2020, 498 law enforcement officers lost their lives in vehicle crashes, making up 28% of all line-of-duty deaths (National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund [2021]).
Improving roadside safety
All states have enacted Move Over laws, which mandate that drivers provide a one-lane buffer to stopped emergency vehicles. These laws specify that drivers must either move over to the next lane when approaching stationary emergency, wrecker, or utility vehicles with flashing lights if it is safe to do so, or slow down significantly. Additionally, some states extend these requirements to include municipal, utility and DOT vehicles with flashing lights. AAA has details on specific state laws which are available here.
