BOZEMAN, Mont. – April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is encouraging law enforcement nationwide to be on the lookout for drivers texting or using their phones.
Montana Highway Patrol Sergeant Patrick McLaughlin said as the roads are starting to dry up, people are driving with less caution and much faster.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting.
When you are driving at 55 miles per hour and do that quick look down, it’s enough time to cover the length of an entire football field.
“With the warmer weather, people are going to be doing more and unfortunately, social media blows up a lot more when people are out being active so we see a lot of people on their phones,” McLaughlin said. “A lot of people are not paying attention to the road. You’re not going to see it probably for a couple more weeks but as stuff starts to green up, people are going to be distracted more by the scenery, looking at the birds, looking at the animals and again, not watching the road.”
McLaughlin also added that MHP has been noticing many people not wearing seatbelts and wants to remind everyone of the importance of buckling up.
