AAA South Jersey Encourages Attentive Driving During National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Beyond

VOORHEES, N.J. – With the start of National Distracted Driving Awareness month, AAA South Jersey encourages drivers to learn how to use Driving Focus features on smartphones, which are designed to prevent incoming calls and texts while a vehicle is in motion.

Driving 55 miles per hour, taking your eyes off the road for five seconds, is like traveling the length of a football field blindfolded. According to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving killed 3,142 people in 2020. That’s an average of nine lives lost each day, although experts believe the numbers are much higher due to the causes of these types of crashes being vastly underreported.

Among drivers involved in fatal crashes, police-reported distraction was most common among drivers younger than 20 years old.

In New Jersey, 136 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2021. That’s tied for the seventh-most deaths in the nation.

Driving Focus smartphone apps are designed to limit phone use when you are behind the wheel. These apps use sensors and proximity to known network connections to detect driving. They generally work when the vehicles are in motion and can silence the phone, redirect incoming calls to voicemails, or respond to text messages with a preprogrammed message. However, users must opt-in to activate the apps. The primary reasons drivers say they won’t use Driving Focus features are:

•Able to ignore my smartphone while driving
•Use Bluetooth if I need to answer a call
•Don’t think to turn it on
•Need to be reachable in case of an emergency (kids, family, work, etc.)

However, the latest Driving Focus (iPhones) and Drive Focus (Android) features on smartphones do address many drivers’ concerns. These newer features will:

•Automatically enable when connected to the vehicle’s Bluetooth
•Allow repeat calls to be received (in emergencies)
•Set contact exemption rules allowing calls/texts from select contacts in your phonebook
•Allow all messages/calls but only allow interaction via Bluetooth

To stay focused behind the wheel and prevent driving “intexticated,” AAA South Jersey recommends you:

➢ Use the Driving Focus features on your smartphone.
➢ Pull over if you have to call or text someone.
➢ Speak up if the driver of your vehicle is distracted.
➢ Put it away. Place your mobile device out of sight to prevent temptation.
➢ Know where you’re going. If using GPS, program the destination before driving.
➢ Ask passengers for help. If with someone, ask for help to navigate, make a call or text.
➢ Don’t be a distraction. Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.