Some of us remember a time when people got in their cars to go someplace, and they just drove. No cell phones to distract us. Sure, we ate snacks and fidgeted with the radio. But the idea of taking a phone call while driving was, back then, unimaginable to those of us born before the digital revolution changed how we communicate.
Now, our cars have become rolling extensions of our homes and offices, as most everyone seems to be talking on mobile phones while they drive. Hands-free mobile phone systems have enabled motorists to put down their hand-held cell phones — which is the law, in states like Maryland that have a hands-free cell phone law on the books. In addition, in 2014, Maryland enacted Jake’s Law, increasing penalties for distracted driving, including those resulting in serious injury or death, with potential fines of up to $5,000 and up to three years of jail time. Jake Owen was a 5-year-old boy killed in a Maryland distracted driving accident in 2011.
Despite hands-free cell phone usage laws in states like Maryland across the country, some drivers cannot resist the urge to use their hand-held devices. Texting while driving — including sending and receiving messages, and interacting with social media — remains a deadly threat to the motoring public, as it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distraction.
Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a new public safety campaign aimed at stopping distracted drivers before they cause injury or death.
NHTSA reports that in 2023, there were 3,275 people killed and nearly 325,000 people injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. Tragically, between 2014 and 2023, some 32,000 people lost their lives in distracted driving accidents. NHTSA defines distracted driving as any time the driver’s attention is not on the road. Despite texting while driving being illegal in 49 states and Washington, D.C., it remains a serious hazard on our U.S. roadways.
NHTSA is launching a “Put the Phone Away or Pay” public safety campaign in April, with increased police presence on our roadways looking to stop distracted drivers. The campaign video (see link below) depicts texting-while-driving behaviors we’re all too familiar with: drivers who prop up their cell phones on their steering wheels; those who keep their cell phones low, to avoid detection; and others who scroll through them quickly. These behaviors can lead to swerving on the roadways, fender benders, or worse — crashes with injury, damage to property, even death.
According to NHTSA, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. Young adults are most apt to engage in this distracted driving behavior. The organization recommends pulling over and putting the car in park before taking or sending a text message, or designating a passenger to do the texting for the driver. No text message is worth risking a life.
Sources:
NHTSA: Put the Phone Away or Pay Distracted Driving Campaign
Distracted Driving Campaign, April 2025