National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Put down the phone! April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Texting while driving kills thousands annually. Commit to focused, safe driving and save lives.
About National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Put down the phone! April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Texting while driving kills thousands annually. Commit to focused, safe driving and save lives.
History & origins
National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an April observance in the United States that was promoted by traffic safety groups and later recognized in federal safety outreach. The National Safety Council has marked April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also uses April for its annual distracted-driving campaign. Its exact starting point is a little unclear in public materials, but the observance was already being tied to April by 2010.
Why it matters
Distracted driving is a major road-safety issue because it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction at the exact moment drivers need full attention. The month gives schools, employers, law-enforcement agencies, and families a focused time to push habits that reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths. It also supports broader safety goals by reinforcing phone-free driving and safer teen driving behavior.
How to celebrate
Put phones away while driving. Use hands-free devices only. Educate teens about driving safety. Share distracted driving statistics. Take a safe driving pledge.
Facts
- 9 people die daily from distracted driving in the US
- Texting makes you 23 times more likely to crash
- Distracted driving is the leading cause of teen deaths
- It takes 5 seconds to read a text - enough to travel a football field at highway speed
- Many states have banned handheld phone use while driving
Frequently asked questions
When is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in 2026?
National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in 2026 is observed throughout April 2026. It is a month-long observance rather than a single-day holiday.
What is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month?
It is a traffic-safety observance that highlights the dangers of distracted driving. The campaign encourages drivers to avoid texting, scrolling, eating, and other distractions behind the wheel.
Who started National Distracted Driving Awareness Month?
The origin is not tied to one universally credited founder. Public safety organizations helped popularize it, and federal traffic-safety outreach later adopted April as the campaign month.
How do you celebrate National Distracted Driving Awareness Month?
The best way is to drive distraction-free and encourage others to do the same. You can also take a no-phone pledge, talk to teens about road safety, and share facts about distracted driving prevention.
Is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month an official holiday?
No, it is not a holiday. It is an awareness observance focused on public safety and reducing crashes caused by driver distraction.
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