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PennDOT, AAA, Impact Teen Drivers Urge Students to Keep Attention on the Road

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), AAA East Central and Impact Teen Drivers teamed up with Quaker Valley High School in an effort to combat distracted driving crashes in the region as part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The safety partners are reminding Quaker Valley high schoolers and the overall motoring public of the dangers that come with being distracted behind the wheel.

During the event, students shared a distracted driving awareness banner, which will later be displayed in the school. Other students will have the opportunity to sign the banner as a pledge not to drive distracted.

Each of the agencies highlight distracted driving awareness throughout the year, with coordinating campaigns discouraging cell phone use while driving. AAA reminds motorists “Don’t Drive Intexicated,” while Impact Teen Drivers encourages drivers to “Be Thumbody.” PennDOT reminds the public to “Park the Phone,” prompting motorists and pedestrians to avoid distractions while on the roadway. These campaigns attempt to combat cell phone use behind the wheel, which is the number one distraction for young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 years old.

The safety partners also reminded the motoring public that cell phone use is not the only distraction while driving. Anything that causes you to take your attention away from driving, take your eyes off the road or take your hands off the wheel is a distraction. This behavior becomes a risk for the distracted motorist, their passengers, surrounding drivers and pedestrians.

Other common distractions include reaching for objects inside the vehicle, eating and drinking, changing settings in the vehicle, brushing hair or applying makeup, and over-engaging with passengers to name a few.

According to PennDOT data, locally from 2016 to 2020, there have been 9,757 distracted driving crashes in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties, with 27 fatalities. Additionally, distracted driving remains a top factor in statewide crashes.

For more information on distracted driving, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

For regional twitter updates, visit 511PAPittsburgh.

MEDIA CONTACT: Yasmeen Manyisha, 412-429-5044

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