WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Distracted driving crashes are preventable. This April, the National Safety Council marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month by urging drivers to take simple, immediate steps to reduce distractions and protect everyone on the road.

In 2024, over 3,000 people died in distraction-affected crashes – an average of about nine lives lost every day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Safety experts believe the actual number could be higher, as no standardized method exists to reliably capture distraction as a contributing factor in crashes.

Distractions come in many forms – phones, infotainment systems, passenger interactions and more. Whether visual, manual or cognitive, all distractions can cause inattentional blindness, or the failure to notice a visible hazard because attention is focused elsewhere. NSC research shows that even hands-free technology is not distraction-free.

Jacob Smith was 15 when a distracted driver changed his life forever.

“At 15, less than 24 hours after speaking to 8,000 peers and challenging them to cherish every moment in life, a head-on collision and a traumatic brain injury changed everything," Smith said. "I'm joining NSC and advocates like myself to call for an end to the generational burden of distracted driving. We can prevent this.”

“No one should ever get hurt or lose their life because of a text or a phone call,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “By keeping our eyes on the road and our hands on the wheel, we all have the power and responsibility to make our roads safe for everyone. The National Safety Council calls on every driver to travel distraction free. Doing so will save lives.”

Before getting behind the wheel, drivers can take steps to minimize distractions: Set navigation in advance, put phones on do not disturb, adjust infotainment settings before driving and pull over safely if something requires attention.

For decades the National Safety Council has led efforts to reduce distracted driving by equipping drivers, employers and communities with resources and tools to make safer choices behind the wheel. Through the Road to Zero Coalition, NSC leads a nationwide effort with the U.S. Department of Transportation and roadway safety partners to eliminate traffic deaths by 2050. Central to that effort is the Safe System Approach – recognizing that safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer people and better post-crash care must be intentionally designed and reinforced as a system to anticipate human error and prevent fatal and serious injuries.

Distracted driving is one of the most persistent and preventable threats on our roadways. This month, and every month, NSC calls on all drivers to make distraction-free driving the norm, not the exception.

To learn more about NSC resources for driver safety or to take the Just Drive pledge, visit nsc.org/justdrive.