11 percent of Valley drivers distracted, Eastgate study finds

YOUNGSTOWN

The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments hopes its finding that 11 percent of the Mahoning Valley drivers it observed were distracted calls people’s attention to the need to concentrate on their driving to promote public safety.

“Think about what you’re actually doing. You want to focus on driving. That’s your main task,” said Justin Mondok, an Eastgate transportation planner and the lead researcher in the council’s study.

“The more that we can bring awareness to it, the better,” Ken Sympson, the council’s transportation director, said of distracted driving.

“It just takes a second of distraction and looking away from that road to cause tragic consequences,” said Bethaney Krzys, Eastgate’s safety program manager.

“Distracted driving plays a big part in crashes. It’s under-reported,” Krzys said. “The [law enforcement] officer cannot always identify what caused the crash,” and a driver involved in it may be reluctant to specify the cause, she noted.

Sixteen percent of Mahoning Valley drivers between age 26 and 40 were observed to be distracted in the council’s recently released study.

Among drivers age 16 to 25, 14 percent were distracted; and among those in the 41-60 age range, it was 11 percent.

Only 3 percent of drivers 61 or older were recorded as distracted in the study.

Read more about the matter in Tuesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.