Cell phones have not only become an ubiquitous part of daily life, they have become almost an extension of the average person’s arm, rarely leaving their hand or their eyesight. This has unfortunately been extending to even time behind the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at nhtsa.gov/april-distracted-driving-awareness-month, “Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads. Cell phone use — specifically, texting, talking, and social media use — has become the most common distraction. Other risky actions include adjusting the radio or GPS, applying makeup, eating and drinking. By driving distracted, you’re robbing yourself of seconds that you may need to avoid a close call or deadly crash.”

This can be seen in Newtown all the time. Not only do you see many people looking at their phones while driving, it is borne out in the weekly Police Reports here in The Newtown Bee in the high incidence of rear-end collisions. As many as half of the weekly traffic incidents are a car being unable to stop in time for a stopped or slowing car ahead, and it’s difficult to believe that cell phones are not a major contributing factor, even if the drivers won’t cop to it.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and The Bee, and other civic organizations such as the Connecticut Department of Transportation and AAA Northeast, are asking drivers to stay off their phones.

According to AAA Northeast, in 2022, 3,308 people were killed and 289,310 people were injured in US traffic crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The number of fatal crashes involving distraction (3,047) accounted for 8% of all fatal traffic crashes (39,221) in 2022.

In Connecticut, between 2020 and 2024, there were more than 26,000 crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository. Over 7,800 of the crashes resulted in injuries and nearly 50 were fatal.

NHTSA reports cellphone use — including texting, talking and social media use — is the most common form of distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

AAA research shows 93% of drivers surveyed in a recent study perceive texting, emailing and reading on a cellphone as extremely or very dangerous. However, many drivers still acknowledged engaging in the following risky behaviors in the past 30 days: typing or sending a text or email, 27%; reading a text or email, 37%; and holding and talking on a cellphone, 36%.

“Any activity that takes your eyes off the road is a potential distraction and increases your risk of a crash,” said Lauren Fabrizi, spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “It’s imperative to give driving your full attention and ditch the distractions — because it could save a life.”

For teen drivers, AAA research has found talking or attending to other passengers in the vehicle is a top contributor to crashes.

AAA offers the following tips to keep drivers alert:

Avoid texting, emailing or scrolling through apps while driving, put your cellphone in the glove box, back seat or trunk of your vehicle until you arrive at your destination.

If you need to send a text immediately, pull over and park your car in a safe location.

Designate your passenger as your “designated texter” to respond to calls or messages.

If your driver is texting or otherwise distracted, call out their behavior. Remind them it’s unsafe and encourage them to focus on the road.