The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released preliminary data showing that more than 40,000 people were killed in traffic crashes last year, which is slightly down from their peak in 2021 but still remains a major concern. Traffic deaths have increased by 25% since 2013, with pedestrian deaths reaching a 40-year high in 2022. Distracted driving, particularly due to smartphones, resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries in 2022, prompting the launch of the “Put the Phone Away or Pay” campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving.
The NHTSA Deputy Administrator emphasized the consequences of distracted driving, stating that the campaign aims to show people the potential deadly outcomes of driving while using their phones. The agency plans to spend $5 million on national media advertisements as part of the campaign and increase law enforcement efforts to combat distracted driving. However, some road safety advocates feel that these campaigns are ineffective and merely shift the responsibility onto individual drivers rather than addressing overarching regulatory and safety concerns.
Experts like David Zipper and Seth LaJeunesse argue that public education campaigns may not significantly reduce traffic deaths and are a way for the NHTSA to avoid addressing larger systemic issues. They suggest that a focus on community design and reducing the necessity of driving could be more effective in improving road safety. The spokesperson for AAA acknowledges that while driver awareness campaigns can be beneficial, measuring their impact is challenging, especially when other factors like speed and impairment also play significant roles in traffic fatalities.
Despite efforts to raise awareness about distracted driving through campaigns like “Put the Phone Away or Pay,” some experts believe that these initiatives may not have a substantial impact on changing driver behavior. They argue that a collective approach to creating safer environments through systemic changes and community design is essential to reducing traffic-related deaths in the long term. By shifting the focus away from individual responsibility and towards broader safety measures, advocates hope to address the root causes of traffic crashes and create lasting improvements in road safety.
