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Recognizing Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Floor Speech

Date: April 18, 2023
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join numerous organizations and individuals from around the country in observation of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. First introduced as a resolution by the Honorable Betsy Markey and passed by this chamber in March 2010, this commemoration brings critical attention to the devastating and persistent problem of distracted driving on our Nation's roadways.

The latest data show that more than 3,000 people a year, an average of nearly 9 each day, are killed in distracted driving crashes. According to the National Safety Council--a leading safety nonprofit organization that is based in my district--only 62 percent of drivers reported to be ``very willing'' to obey state laws preventing cell phone use. Over the last 10 years, the prevalence of drivers using hand-held electronic devices while driving has increased 127 percent, climbing from 1.5 percent in 2012 to 3.4 percent in 2021. It is alarmingly clear that too many drivers fail to understand the dangers of distracted driving.

Preliminary 2022 estimates from the National Safety Council indicate the deadly consequences of distracted driving are not fading. In 2022, over 46,000 people lost their lives in preventable traffic crashes. These estimates reveal that, compared to pre-pandemic numbers from 2019, the rate of deaths per miles driven in 2022 increased nearly 22 percent. These disturbing statistics are a reminder of how dangerous our roadways can be.

I want to emphasize that these deaths are indeed preventable--and also, that these numbers are widely believed to be undercounted, as many states do not include the option on crash reports to document distracted driving. It is therefore imperative we continue to raise awareness in this chamber and in our communities.

As we mark another Distracted Driving Awareness Month, I strongly encourage all motorists to firmly commit to driving safely and attentively, and to avoid using cell phones and in-vehicle technology that take attention away from the roads ahead.

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