STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One of the country’s leading traffic safety organizations is partnering with a major automotive manufacturer to help cut down on distracted driving.
On Tuesday, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) announced that it has partnered with General Motors (GM) to combat dangerous driving behavior in honor of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which begins on Friday, Apr. 1.
In 2020, the United States saw 3,142 people lose their lives in distracted driving crashes, accounting for 8.1% of all roadway fatalities for the year, according to recently released statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Last year, a survey by AAA found that 51% of drivers admitted to either texting and/or emailing when while they are driving alone in their vehicle. The percentage was even higher, 59%, for drivers between the ages of 25 and 34.
“Look around and you’ll see distracted drivers everywhere – it’s a safety epidemic,” said GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “This unique collaboration will shine a light on this problem and help advance one of the core principles outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which calls for safer people by encouraging safer behaviors. Making attentive driving the norm will benefit everyone on the road.”
In an effort to address this issue, the GHSA and GM will release a new, comprehensive report this summer examining trends in distracted driving and offering actionable solutions to State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs).
In addition to the report and recommended actions, the GHSA will offer competitive grants, using GM funding, to select SHSOs around the country to fund the implementation of the proposed distracted driving solutions.
“General Motors is committed to helping create a future with zero crashes, and we’re thrilled to support GHSA as they aim to reduce distracted driving and unsafe behavior on the road,” said Regina Carto, vice president of Global Product Safety & Systems at GM. “GHSA’s efforts to identify actions that communities can take to reduce this unsafe behavior can help GM’s vision become a reality.”