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April 29 Is Distracted Driving Awareness Day In Virginia

Although drunk driving and driving while fatigued are often in the spotlight for causing car crashes and other vehicle accidents, one of the most common causes of car wrecks is often overlooked: driver distractions. This month, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, DRIVE SMART, the Virginia Highway Safety Office and the Virginia State Police are working together to recognize April 29th as Distracted Driver Awareness Day across Virginia.

According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, a staggering 80 percent of car crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes are due to driver distractions that take place within three seconds of the accident or near-accident.

Driver distractions can be caused by any number of things: talking on the cell phone while driving; texting while driving; eating while driving; applying makeup while driving; looking at a map while driving; changing radio stations while driving, reaching for something in the backseat while driving; or taking your eyes off of the road while driving.

As part of Distracted Driver Awareness Day, the Bluefield, Virginia, Police Department will increase patrols to hopefully make drivers more conscious of the dangers and consequences of driver distractions in their own lives.

"Those three seconds of distraction from doing something like checking out your hair in a rear view mirror, talking on a cell phone, sending or reading text messages or eating can change the life of the driver as well as the lives of all of their family members and the lives of every family touched by the accident," said Bluefield Police Chief Harry Cundiff.

Virginia lawmakers are also taking on driver distractions - in 2009 the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill outlawing texting while driving starting July 1.

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