April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month [VIDEO]

While you may be the best driver in Gallatin County, you just never know what others might be doing in their vehicles.

(Michelle was driving and I shot the video - we were very safe in the making of this video)

Distracted drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but everyone else on the road. In an effort to make our roads safer, the Bozeman Police Department and Bozeman Deaconess Health Services are joining together to educate the community about the dangers of cell phone use and other distractions while driving.

Drivers know that using a cell phone while driving is distracting, but that doesn’t stop most people from doing so. The statistics related to distracted driving are eye-opening. Approximately 3000 people are killed in distraction-affected crashes each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.” The goal of this program is to get people to change their driving habits to help protect themselves, their families, and others on the road.

While anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving is a hazard, there is heightened concern about the risks of texting while driving because it combines all three types of distraction – visual, manual and cognitive.

The Bozeman Police Department’s campaign will include the use of a brand new, fully equipped, unmarked patrol vehicle.  It is common knowledge that drivers are more attentive when a marked patrol car is in the area, so this vehicle will make it easier for patrol officers to observe violations and standard driving behaviors. The Bozeman Police Department will also be conducting increased patrols in specific areas and for specific violations, including the failure to use a hands free communication device.

Be safe out there!