April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a good reminder for everyone of the dangers of not giving full attention to the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,138 people died in distracted driving crashes in the United States in 2020. But distracted driving isn’t just texting. It can be talking on the phone, to another passenger or a pet, eating or drinking, changing a music station or messing with the navigation; anything that takes the driver’s attention away from the road.

Too often we believe we are special and nothing will happen if we reach down to check that text or turn around to hand a bag of fast food to the child in the backseat.

Just this once.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2020 Traffic Safety Culture Index found 96% of motorists believed it was very or extremely dangerous to text or email while driving, but nearly 4 out of 10 drivers admitted to doing so in the last 30 days.

“Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing traffic safety threats,” said Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs, AAA East Central.

It is bad behavior.

And even though we all know that, this month is a good reminder, to avoid not just drinking and driving, but driving distracted as well.

Keep your eyes on the road.

Turn your phone off if need be.

Make sure nothing is going to keep your attention from where it is needed.

You are taking more than your own life into your hands if you don’t.