April Is Distracted Driving Awareness Month In Kingsport

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and as part of that designation, the Kingsport Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office to bring increased educational and enforcement efforts to this important subject. Distracted Driving is deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nine percent of all fatal crashes involved distracted drivers. Between 2012 and 2019 approximately 26 thousand people died in crashes involving distracted drivers. More than 31 hundred died during 2019 alone. There are three forms of distracted driving including cognitive, visual, and manual. Texting and driving is extremely dangerous, because it involves all three forms of distracted driving. Tennessee is a Hands Free state, meaning you cannot hold a cellphone or mobile device with any part of your body.