CDOT alerting drivers: April is “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month”
April begins “Distracted Driving Awareness Month,” and the Colorado Department of Transportation is pulling out all the stops to make sure drivers keep their hands on the wheel.
“This is a great opportunity for us to do some extra enforcement around the state about distracted driving as well as some education and awareness,” said Sam Cole, CDOT spokesman.
CDOT will be partnering with the state patrol to crack down on those who aren’t obeying the law behind the wheel.
“A lot of the public is very enraged about the number of people driving distracted. They’re on their phones, they’re eating, they might be putting on their makeup… It puts us all in danger,” added Cole.
In Colorado, the number of distracted-driving related crashes is up 16% in the last 4 years. Just last year, 69 people died in these types of crashes.
“The biggest offenders were young adults people in their 20’s and 30’s,” Cole explained.
CDOT warns everyone, however, to exercise caution.
“Make that phone call or send that text before you leave home or work. Plan ahead. If you all of a sudden get on the road and have to use your phone, pull over into a parking lot… No text or call is worth your life.”
CDOT is also featuring a contest in honor of the month, encouraging drivers to visit their Facebook page and submit ideas for what highway signs should say during the month of April. For more information, click here: http://www.facebook.com/coloradodot.
