OSHP reminds drivers to keep eyes on the road

Staff report

LISBON

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Lisbon Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to keep their eyes and focus on the roadway while driving.

From Friday through Wednesday, the Lisbon Post will partner with the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office, Perry Township and St. Clair Township police departments for an enforcement effort targeting distracted drivers.

Last year, 13,261 crashes in Ohio had a reported distraction, including 39 fatal crashes. From 2014 to 2015, the number of reported distracted drivers rose 11 percent.

Sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of a football field when traveling at 55 miles per hour.

Distracted driving is any nondriving activity that has potential to distract a person from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing.

Distractions can be visual, taking eyes off of the road; manual, taking hands off the wheel; or cognitive, taking the mind off driving.

Texting while driving is an example that results in all three types of distraction.

Officers will aggressively enforce distracted driver violations in an effort to reduce injury and fatal crashes.