Distracted Driving turns deadly fast on New York roads

June is one of the deadliest month of the year for distracted driving crashes, and safety experts are warning New Yorkers to be careful as summer traffic starts picking up.

Thousands Of Americans Are Hurt In Distracted Driving Crashes

A recent distracted driving report found that more than 6,000 people across the United States were injured or killed in distracted driving crashes in just one year. Distracted driving continues to be one of the biggest dangers on roads across New York and the rest of the country.

Phones Remain One Of The Biggest Problems

Texting, searching for directions, or a quick look at the phone for a few seconds can lead to a crash. New York has strict distracted driving laws that ban drivers from holding or using handheld devices while behind the wheel.

Safety experts say drivers should use hands free systems like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto if they need navigation, music, or phone calls while driving.

Experts Urge New Yorkers To Avoid Multitasking

Many distracted driving crashes happen because drivers try to do too many things at once. Eating in the car, reaching into the back seat, or looking down at a phone can all take attention away from the road. Experts warn about drowsy driving, especially during long road trips and holiday travel season.

Smartphones Can Help Reduce Distractions

Many smartphones include built in driving features that automatically silence notifications while someone is driving. Apple devices use a feature called Driving Focus, while Android phones have driving modes that reduce distractions and send automatic replies to messages. Simple habits, like putting your phone away before leaving the driveway, can make New York roads safer for everyone.

Important Information About Impaired Driving

Gallery Credit: Bernadette Lee

Alcohol And Driving Can Be Deadly For Children

Don’t put your child at risk, and don’t put the lives of other children at rish. There are fatal crashes that involve children every year. Officials with the NTHSA say that twenty-two percent of those crashes involved impaired driving.

You Will Go to Jail for Impaired Driving

Who wants to spend time in jail? No one. It’s illegal in every state in the union to drive with a blood alcohol love above .08. The only state where that is not the case is Utah. In that state, you can’t drive if your blood alcohol level is .05.

Impaired Driving Leads to Hundreds of Deaths Each Year

Law enforcement officials tell us one of the toughest parts of their job is having to knock on the door of someone’s loved one to tell them they died do to impaired driving. Don’t be that person who gets behind the wheel impaired by anything, even if it’s prescription medication. Your life and the lives of other people depend on it.

Stats Go Up For Motorcycle Fatalities With Impaired Drivers

National officials say when it comes to impaired driving and motorcycles, it’s a deadly combination. Twenty-five percent of fatal crashes for motorcycles is because the driver was impaired.

We’re Losing More Men To Impaired Driving

Men are more likely than females to be the ones driving when impaired driving is involved. Gentleman, it is the gentlemanly thing to do to never drive impaired.

Some People Ignore The Prevalence Of Deaths Due To Impaired Driving

National statistics show that every 50 minutes in our country a person is killed by impaired driving. Let that sink in a minute. If you won’t think about your safety, please think of someone else’s safety.

One Third Of All Traffic Fatalities Involve Drunk Driving

According to officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one third of crashes that involve fatalities are directly related to alcohol consumption. These people had a blood alcohol level of .08 or above. If you plan to drink then plan to have a safe ride home.