More than 3,000 people are killed each year by distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In an effort to save lives, April is designated Distracted Driving Awareness Month. NBC 7’s Todd Strain explains the life-changing and life-ending toll of taking your eyes off the road.
To mark the start of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Automobile Club of Southern California, in partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety, the California Highway Patrol and the family of a distracted driving crash victim came together in San Diego on Monday urging the public to recognize the deadly consequences of inattention behind the wheel.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving claimed 3.308 lives and caused nearly 290,000 injuries in 2022 — an average of nine fatalities daily.
In the lobby of the AAA office in Mission Valley, there was a chair display. There were nine chairs to represent the lives lost daily to distracted driving. Each chair had the picture, name and age of a person who had been killed by a distracted driver.
"It breaks my heart," Beverly Shelton said when asked what her emotions were when seeing the pictures of the deceased individuals. "It literally and physically breaks my heart."
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On Feb. 27, 2009, Shelton’s 5-year-old grandson, Zachary, was in a crosswalk when he was struck and killed by a distracted driver. Zachary's death is a pain that never goes away.
"Never. If I have Alzheimer's, I'll probably still remember," Shelton said.
Shelton says her darkest days are balanced out by her better memories of Zachary.
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"He loved the Beatles. He was an environmentalist. He wanted to be a doctor, a scientist and an astronaut, but unfortunately, he doesn’t get to do anything anymore," Shelton said.
Shelton, who goes by the name "Grandma Beverly," hopes that by sharing Zachary’s story, she can help people realize the deadly consequences of distracted driving. She offers the following thought for drivers when behind the wheel.
"Be mindful that I am driving this vehicle, and that’s all I am doing right now. I am not putting on makeup. I am not shaving. I am not eating that burrito. I can take five minutes, stop, eat the burrito, and I have just saved lives by not eating that burrito while driving down the street," Shelton said.
"Distracted driving is a serious problem, and it's claiming lives every day," said Anlleyn Venegas, Auto Club's public affairs specialist. "It's never safe to text, check emails, or use your phone while on the road. These actions take your focus away from what matters most: safely getting to your destination."
To stay focused behind the wheel and help prevent tragedies, the Auto Club recommends that drivers take the steps below:
- Use the Driving Focus features on your smartphone to limit distractions
- Pull over safely if you must call or text someone
- Speak up if the driver of your vehicle is distracted
- Put your phone out of sight to reduce temptation
- Program your GPS before starting your trip not during
- Don't be a distraction. Avoid calling or texting others while they're driving.
Stephanie Dougherty, the director of the California Office of Traffic Safety, said, “When you’re behind the wheel, nothing is more important than the task at hand. A single moment of distraction can lead to a lifetime of regret.”
It's something that Grandma Beverly knows all too well.
"It takes only a second. If Zachary was two seconds later in that intersection, he wouldn't have gotten hit. Now he's the face of this problem in America. Distracted driving kills," she said.
Coinciding with the April 1 start of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the CHP will be starting a maximum enforcement period for 24 hours with every available officer on the roads enforcing distracted driving prevention.
