ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and driver distraction continues to be a major factor in crashes that result in thousands of fatalities and more than 289,000 serious injuries nationwide every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Passengers can play a significant role in reducing the number of distracted driving crashes by speaking up if they’re in a vehicle being driven by someone who is distracted or driving dangerously.

According to Georgia Traffic Safety Facts, 55% of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver.

”Distracted driving is laregly unreported, some people of couse don’t necessarily admit to the fact that they are holding a cell phone or have other distractions in their vehicle and if they end up getting in a crash the fact that they were distracted is not necessarily something they readily admit,” said Garrett Townsend, Public Affairs Director for Georgia AAA.

Despite the warnings, many people continue to drive distracted. A survey two years ago showed more than three-quarters of drivers said they use their cell phone while driving. More than half said they read texts or emails while driving, and 27 percent said they check social media. 19% even admitted to shopping online while behind the wheel.

The counties with the highest proportion of distraction-related crashes are Baker (76%) and Crawford (71%), which are classified as rural counties.

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