(WYMT) – April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and officials are reminding drivers to stay alert on the roadways as the summer travel season approaches.
According to Kentucky State Police collision data, 5,505 crashes were attributed to distracted driving in 2025.
“I think that people think about things like impaired driving. Everybody is well aware about how dangerous that is, but the fact is that distracted driving can be just as risky,” said Lori Weaver Hawkins, public and government affairs manager for AAA Bluegrass.
Hawkins said while cell phone usage is the biggest culprit, distracted driving includes anything that takes eyes from the road, hands from the steering wheel, or the mind away from driving.
“If you have a lot on your mind, mentally you’re not paying attention to the roadway because you’re going through your to-do list or maybe you had a bad day at work or maybe you have some problems on the home front. All of those things can cause you to be mentally distracted,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins says national statistics show more than 3,000 people lose their lives and nearly 300,000 are injured annually due to distracted driving.
“So, we think that the number of crashes that we associate with distracted driving, even though those numbers are very high, we believe that they’re actually in reality higher than that,” Hawkins said.
Officials said since drivers cannot control others on the roadway, being a defensive driver and staying alert at all times is crucial.
“That’s your one job that you should have behind the wheel. Set that navigation before you head out the driveway. Make sure you have your climate control the way that you want it, set your entertainment the way that you want it, then head out. Because just thinking about it or reaching over to have to adjust those controls, that distracts you from your driving,” Hawkins said.
Kentucky State Police troopers will be strategically placed throughout the bluegrass this month as part of Operation C.A.R.E., which is aimed at cracking down on dangerous driving habits, especially distracted driving.