Distracted Driving: Put the Phone Away or Pay
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Distracted Driving: Put the Phone Away or Pay (posted April 9, 2025)

By Adam Behnke, Brown County Public Health Communications Specialist

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which highlights what’s become one of the most significant threats to public safety on our roads. Distracted driving is responsible for thousands of preventable injuries and deaths each and every year. Recent data shows alarming trends that require immediate attention and action to better the Brown County community. This latest issue of the Healthy Herald explores the specifics of distracted driving, how prevalent it’s become, and what can be done on the personal and community levels for improved safety behind the wheel. 

Sobering Statistics 

According to 2023 data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, distracted driving caused more than 9,200 crashes and 23 deaths in the state. Nationally, distracted driving causes approximately 3,000 deaths and 280,000 injuries per year. Statistics also show these types of crashes happen with concerning frequency, too. Wisconsin sees a distracted driving crash every 22 minutes. In fact, 1 out of every 5 crashes involve distracted driving. It is estimated that approximately 21% of deaths and 27% of serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are due to distracted driving. In the United States, that adds up to an estimated financial impact of $123 billion annually for direct and indirect costs. It’s a pervasive problem that can be prevented if people make different choices. 

Studies have shown that someone texting behind the wheel is 23 times more likely to be involved in a car crash. To put this in perspective, consider that if a driver is traveling at 55 miles per hour and gets distracted for just five seconds (which the average time it takes to read or send a text message), they’ve traveled the length of a football field without paying attention to the road. In those few seconds, the potential for life-changing disaster multiplies exponentially.  

Types of Distracted Driving 

In recent years, the term ‘distracted driving’ is usually associated with cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle. However, distracted driving encompasses far more than just texting or talking on a cell phone.  

Experts categorize driving distractions into three main types, all of which negatively impact the safety of our driving in different ways: 
  1. Manual distractions: These involve taking your hands off the wheel, such as reaching for items, eating, or adjusting controls. 
  2. Visual distractions: Any activity that draws your eyes away from the road, including looking at navigation systems, checking a text message, or turning to speak with people in the vehicle. 
  3. Cognitive distractions: These involve taking your mind off driving, such as engaging in deep conversation, daydreaming, or focusing on personal problems. 
In most cases, a distraction fits into more than one of these listed types, making it more dangerous. A common example is texting, which is manually distracting while you manipulate the phone, visually distracting while you look at the screen, and cognitively distracting as you process the message’s content. 

While cell phones rightfully receive the most attention when discussing distracted driving, there are many other well-documented behaviors that contribute to distracted driving incidents. These include talking to passengers (86.8% of drivers), adjusting the radio or music player (83.1%), and adjusting other car controls (79.7%). Additional distracting behaviors include eating or drinking, applying makeup, reaching for something in the car, and even becoming emotionally engaged in conversations or music. 

Safety Steps 

This week, during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is running a campaign called “Put the Phone Away or Pay”. The campaign reminds drivers of the deadly dangers and the legal consequences of distracted driving and is supported by increased law enforcement. 

WATCH THE NHTSA ANIMATION

In February, The City of Green Bay and Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS) announced that Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) with high visibility crosswalks had been installed at 48 locations across the City. the project was completed with the City of Green Bay’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and November 2022 Referendum dollars from the Green Bay Area Public School District. RRFBs have been proven to enhance pedestrian safety by reducing crashes by up to 47% and increasing motorist yielding rates by up to 98%. You can find a map of the city’s RRFBs here. The following graphic shows how they work: 



At the personal level, Brown County Public Health encourages everyone to commit to these distracted driving prevention strategies: 

For Drivers 
  1. Make a personal pledge to focus only on driving when behind the wheel. 
  2. Turn off your phone while driving, use apps that prevent incoming notifications, or enable auto-response features that let others know you're driving. 
  3. Adjust your mirrors, set your navigation, select your music, and handle any other tasks before putting your vehicle in motion7. 
  4. If you absolutely must address something that would distract you, first pull over to a safe location. 
  5. If you have people in the car with you, make one of them your "designated texter" to handle any necessary messaging. 
For Passengers 
  1. If you notice your driver becoming distracted, ask them politely to re-focus on driving. 
  2. Help the driver with navigation, communication, or adjusting controls so they can concentrate on the road ahead. 
  3. Do not encourage distracting behaviors. 
For Parents and Guardians 
  1. Have direct conversations with teens and young adults about the dangers of distracted driving. 
  2. Demonstrate distraction-free driving when you get behind the wheel. Children often pick up the habits they see. 
  3. Set clear rules about distracted driving and appropriate consequences for when those rules aren’t followed. 
  4. Consider creating a family pledge that commits to distraction-free driving. 
Score Big with the Safe Roads Challenge 

The Safe Roads Challenge is a movement that aims to reduce traffic collisions and their impact on families and communities. The Safe Roads Challenge app, available through both the Apple Store and Google Play, offers fun competitions, exclusive rewards, and a variety of gift cards, all designed to motivate and encourage safe driving. 

From now until May 25, your safe driving can win you big prizes! Each week brings new skill challenges to test your focus, speed, and handling, helping you improve and earn top scores. Earn a total score of 80+ points each day for an entry into the grand prize drawing. The more entries, the better your chances. Plus, take part in weekly skill challenges for a chance to win additional prizes!  

Conclusion 

Distracted driving is a serious public health concern that affects everyone in our community. The good news? Distracted driving crashes are 100% preventable. By making better choices to eliminate distractions while driving, we can dramatically reduce the number of injuries and deaths out on the roads. 

This April, during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, we encourage you to make a commitment to distraction-free driving. No text, call, or snack is worth putting lives on the line.  

Stay Healthy, Brown County! 

Resources 

https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/safety/education/crash-data/2023-distracted-driving-fact-sheet.pdf 

https://zeroinwisconsin.gov/programs/distracted-driving/ 

https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/blog/post/distracted-driving-blog 

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/DriverDistractionStudy.pdf 

https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/stay-safe-when-driving/distracted-driving 

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/78697 

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00207/full 

https://www.greenbaywi.gov/SWBP 

https://saferoadschallenge.com/