The month of April is nationally recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. We will be partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) to promote the 4th Annual Thumbs Down to Texting and Driving campaign during this month. Agencies across the state will participate in the campaign by promoting safe driving habits and increasing awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.
Each year in Tennessee there are approximately 25,000 traffic crashes were distracted driving was a contributing factor. Some of those crashes are fatal.
Please review these tips in order to plan ahead and remain focused and alert will driving.:
- Put your mobile phone away.Pull over, if you need to make a phone call or send a text message. Never use a mobile device while driving. A hands-free device is safer to use, but the driver should still exercise caution and remain focused on the road.
- Set your GPS in advance.Program your GPS navigation before you leave the driveway. If you need to adjust your GPS, then pull over. Never operate GPS navigation while driving.
- Safely secure child passengers and pets.Make sure all passengers are properly secured before you begin driving. If child passengers or pets become disruptive within the vehicle, then pull over to address the disruptions.
- Eat beforehand.Make time in your schedule to eat before your trip. Never eat behind the wheel.
