WEST MONROE, LA. (KTVE/KARD) — When you think about distracted driving, many people only think of their phones. While electronics are high on the list of driving distractions, other things like eating or having a conversation can also lead to potentially fatal crashes. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and there are some important things to know so you can drive safely and avoid being a distracted driver.

Michelle Anderson, with the National Road Safety Foundation, talks about the importance of people being aware of the danger distracted driving.

“From the Memorial Day weekend until the Labor Day weekend, it’s called the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers. The teen death rate literally triples during that time, and before all of that gets started, we’re trying to raise as much awareness because distraction happens to be one of the primary [reasons] why teens are in car crashes.”

Michelle says that eating, drinking, and even engaging in conversation can be dangerous for drivers. Anything that involves taking your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off of the task of driving, can lead to accidents.

Passengers are also an important factor in distracted driving awareness. Anderson gives some ways passengers can help keep their driver’s mind on driving.

“Ask your passengers to please be mindful that you are driving to keep it down to a minimum, and to definitely not, you know, try to engage you too much in a conversation, you can speak up with care with concern, let them know, ‘Look, I care about your life, I care about my life were encouraging passengers be those additional eyes for the driver’.”

To find free resources on preventing distracted driving, you can visit the National Road Safety Foundation website.