April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
The driver who claimed the lives of the five Georgia Southern University nursing students in 2015, Caitlyn Baggett, Morgan Bass, Emily Clark, McKay Pittman and Abbie DeLoach was a distracted driver. While this story took broke the heart of our community we recognize the need to spread awareness to save even more lives. J.C. Lewis has joined the local, regional and national effort to spread awareness for distracted drivers. By committing to join this campaign J.C. Lewis will be educating its customers on the hand free technologies provided by Ford, Lincoln and Mazda.
Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads. While drivers texting behind the wheel tops what seems like an endless list of distractions, other risky actions include talking — whether it be on the phone or to others in the car, setting your navigation, adjusting what you’re listening to, drinking coffee, applying makeup, and more. By driving distracted, you’re robbing yourself of seconds that you may need to avoid a close call or deadly crash.
In 2019, distracted driving killed 3,142 people – a 10% increase from 2018. Young drivers seem more prone to using their phones while driving. According to NHTSA research from 2017, drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers have since 2007. But make no mistake: It isn’t just young people who are driving distracted, since drivers in other age groups don’t lag far behind.
Please find Tips for Safe Driving, https://abbiedeloachfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PLEDGE-FOR-ABBIE-8.pdf.
As well as additional resources if you want to join the #handsfreeforabbie pledge, https://abbiedeloachfoundation.com/hands-free-for-abbie/
The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. We invite you to join us, along with several community partners who have made the pledge, to be #handsfreeforabbie. Make the commitment to drive phone-free. Take the pledge today.
