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Eyes on the road

Raising awareness of distracted driving

To avoid distractions while behind the wheel, handle nondriving tasks before or after your trip.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, an annual campaign by the National Safety Council (NSC) to help make the nation’s roads safer.

More than 700 people in the United States are injured in distracted driving crashes on a typical day, NSC data show.

Distractions are anything that divert your attention away from driving, whether it’s taking your eyes off the road, taking your hands off the wheel or taking your mind off driving.

Even brief distractions can be dangerous. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sending or reading a text while traveling at a speed of 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

To prevent distracted driving, avoid multitasking while behind the wheel, even if it’s something as simple as adjusting a vehicle’s mirrors. Always try to handle such matters before or after a trip, not while the vehicle is moving.

“Every day in communities across our nation, Postal Service employees are on the road, delivering mail and packages on behalf of our customers. We want our employees to return home safely to their families, so we encourage them to follow the rules of the road and to avoid distracted driving — this month and every month,” said Chief Retail and Delivery Officer Kristin Seaver.

The NSC and CDC websites have more information, while the Safety Blue page has Safety Depends on Me videos and other resources.