Commissioner Causey sends strong message on distracted driving awareness

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey joined other traffic safety advocates Tuesday afternoon to highlight the dangers of distracted driving at a news conference at Pearl Street Park in Charlotte.

"You might think glancing at your phone for a few seconds isn't a big deal while driving, but those few seconds can lead to a lifetime of consequences," Commissioner Causey said.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration distracted driving was blamed for 3,208 deaths in 2024, the latest national statistics available. Many experts believe those numbers are vastly underreported. While eating and adjusting the radio are forms of distraction, investigators warn that cell phone use is the most common cause of crashes.

Glancing at your phone for five seconds while traveling 55 miles per hour is the equivalent of driving blindfolded for more than the length of a football field. Distracted driving is also one of the main reasons auto insurance rates rise, along with speeding, impaired driving, and a lack of seatbelt use.

Tuesday's speakers included distracted driving survivor Tasha Hairston Springs, AAA public affairs director and chair of the North Carolina Alliance for Safe Transportation Tiffany Wright and State Highway Patrol Trooper Whit Efird.

"Anything that takes your mind and your eyes off the road, that's distracted driving," Trooper Efird said. "Let's look out for each other."

Hairston Springs created Mindfully Aware Driving Solutions LLC after she caused a crash that injured herself and others. "I was a distracted driver with a harmful habit of using my smartphone behind the wheel," she said. "I injured two people, and I carry that responsibility with me every day. This is why I now work to help others break these behavioral loops before they become life-changing moments."

Wright added, "Distracted driving is 100% preventable. At AAA, we see the devastating consequences of distraction every day, and through NCAST, we're working with partners across North Carolina to educate, advocate, and ultimately change behavior, because no text, notification, or call is worth a life."

While cell phones make communication easy, Causey warned they can also make driving dangerous. "It's just not worth it. Don't drive distracted. Keep your eyes up and your phone down."

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