MASON, Mich. — April is national Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and according to Michigan State Police, distracted driving is one of the fastest-growing safety issues on the roads today.
Mason High School student Elizabeth Leibrand is a new driver, so new, she doesn't even have her license yet. I recently went for a drive with her and her mom Lisa Leibrand.
"I think the number one thing is other people, you can’t trust them to pay attention, so you have to pay attention at all times. And make sure that everything in you car that you need to be set is set to the way it needs to be set for you," said Lisa.
Driving free of distractions is a big part of maintaining safety on the roads. Something Elizabeth's friend learned the hard way.
"She was driving, probably to school, and her seat was not adjusted correctly, so she had to readjust it while she was driving, and it made her lose control of the car, and she went and hit a tree," said Elizabeth.
Studies have found that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, and it can be even more dangerous for inexperienced drivers.
"So when I was doing driver's training, I had, we were driving at the middle school here, and a little boy ran out in front of the car, and I had to stop the vehicle, so I did not hit him, obviously. So being able to see those things happen and being able to correct yourself when you see those things happen is really important," said Elizabeth.
In Michigan last year, there were more than 16,000 vehicle crashes due to distractions, and 59 of those crashes resulted in death. Only 6.7% of Michigan drivers are under the age of 21, however, nearly 82% of the distracted driving crashes involved drivers under 21.
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