KENTUCKY, USA — This Thanksgiving, thousands of people are going to be traveling.
Team Kentucky reminds motorists to take two important actions while on the road – buckle up and put the phone down.
“With more travelers and pedestrians on and near our roadways visiting loved ones for the holidays, I’m asking everyone to make the safe choice by staying alert, buckling up and putting the phone down,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. “These simple actions can help us keep each other safe, whether we’re behind the wheel or walking nearby.”
According to a release from Team Kentucky, distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of car crashes across the nation over the last decade.
Data from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety shows each year distracted driving results in more than 40,000 crashes, more than 11,000 injuries and more than 150 deaths.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off the task of driving is a hazard.
They say texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction – visual, manual and cognitive.
“The hardest losses to accept are the ones that could have been prevented,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “These are real people, not just numbers – lives lost or forever changed because someone made an unsafe choice behind the wheel.”
KYTC also stresses the importance of wearing a seatbelt.
According to the NHTSA, when worn correctly, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45% for front-seat vehicle occupants and 60% for pickup truck, SUV and minivan occupants.
“Even the safest drivers can be involved in a crash due to someone else’s unsafe choices,” Gray said. “That’s why buckling up is essential as your first line of defense if a crash occurs.”
According to KOHS, each year in Kentucky more than half of those killed in car crashes are not wearing a seatbelt.
