GHSA, GM Step Up Investment in Distracted Driving Prevention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (after hours)

Multipronged effort includes testing local solutions, supporting youth journalism and recruiting social media influencers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and General Motors (GM) are investing more than $250,000 in new funding to support creative new ways to prevent distracted driving, one of the most commonplace – yet dangerous – behaviors on the road.

How prevalent is distracted driving? Research shows that, at any given moment during daylight hours in 2023, more than 326,000 people – half the population of Vermont – were holding a cell phone to their ear while driving. Even more were visibly using their phone in their hand. While cell phones are the most common cause of distracted driving, drivers also are doing a myriad of other activities that take their hands off the wheel, eyes off the road and/or mind off the task of driving.

How dangerous is it? Distracted drivers killed an estimated 3,275 people and injured another 324,819 in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2023, according to federal data. That’s an average of nine deaths and 890 injuries every day. Put another way, that’s one injury every 97 seconds – about the time it will take you to read this news release.

GHSA and GM want to help end driving distracted – whether resulting from using the phone or doing something else that takes a driver’s focus off the road. As part of this continued collaboration, GHSA awarded grants of $100,000 each to the State Highway Safety Offices (SHSO) in Maryland and Missouri to help them develop, implement and evaluate local distracted driving prevention programs. A third grant has been awarded to Youthcast Media Group (YMG) to help expand its successful initiative where youth journalists develop news stories and social media highlighting how distracted driving endangers everyone on the road.

The Maryland and Missouri SHSOs will use their grants in the following ways:

• The Maryland Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office will expand the state’s “Local Heroes” PSA series to highlight the negative impacts of distracted driving. Originally focused on seat belt use, “Local Heroes” is a community-centered campaign featuring state and local law enforcement and emergency services personnel working to help prevent crashes and reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on Maryland roads.
• The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), with partners AAA and Cambridge Mobile Telematics, will leverage state-of-the-art telematics data to further the state’s effort in preventing distracted driving. MoDOT will use real-time data and behavioral analysis to gauge the success of distracted driving countermeasures as well as identify regions of the state where more attention is needed. This will allow the department and its partners to more strategically plan programs and projects aimed at raising public awareness and reducing distracted driving.

GHSA also is partnering with YMG, a nonprofit that supports high school and college students writing about and reporting on often overlooked health and social issues, such as traffic safety. YMG will work with these student journalists to highlight data illustrating the extent of the problem and show the personal toll of distracted driving through profiles of victims and their families. Last year, youth working with YMG developed a digital toolkit that includes social media posts that SHSOs and their partners are now using to engage with 16- to 24-year-olds.

In addition, GHSA recruited social media influencers and professional and college athletes to help spread the distraction-free message to their fans and followers during Distracted Driving Awareness Month this April. They includes NASCAR driver and safety advocate Ross Chastain; Adrian Wood, Ph.D., an author, speaker, and blogger who posts updates on her life as a mother of four, including one child with special needs; Adria Thompson, a prominent dementia care educator; and three West Virginia University athletes and coaches.

“Distracted driving is one of the most vexing roadway safety issues the U.S. has ever faced. Everyone says it’s a danger, but far too many people admit to doing it when they’re behind the wheel. That must change,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “GHSA and GM are building on our previous successes by working with states to try new, local prevention initiatives, giving youth the skills to help educate their peers about the danger, and tapping influencers who can reach new audiences with the safe-driving message.”

These initiatives build on GHSA and GM’s shared focus on eliminating distracted driving and changing the social norm. In 2022, GHSA and GM released a comprehensive report that examined data shortcomings and other obstacles impacting efforts to reduce distracted driving, reviewed SHSO initiatives and the challenges impacting those efforts, and offered 29 recommendations to help combat this deadly driving behavior.

Over the past three years, GHSA and GM have awarded nearly $600,000 in grants to 11 SHSOs to implement recommendations in the report. More information about the GHSA-GM collaboration is online.

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