The following is a news release from the Colorado State Patrol.

(COLO) – April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Colorado State Patrol wants motorists to remember that there is no lane reserved for those who choose to drive in a distracted and hazardous manner. When you choose to pick up your phone, drink your morning coffee or hold onto your pet while driving, you become a danger to every motorist on the road with you.

“Last year troopers around the state investigated 600 injury and fatal crashes attributed to distracted driving, this doesn’t include crashes investigated by other law enforcement agencies,” stated Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “As you close a door getting into a vehicle, it can give you the impression of being isolated. The reality is driving is a social activity. You aren’t alone out there and every distraction presents a risk to yourself and others.”

As troopers looked at the most apparent human cause of the 600 crashes caused by inattentive driving in 2022, the top three causes were:

1) Interior distraction (e.g. phones, dashboard navigation, food, etc.) 2) Looked but did not see (e.g. daydreaming) 3) Driver inexperience

While distracted driving is a concern across every Colorado community the top counties for serious injury and fatal crashes caused by driver distraction in 2022 were:

1) Jefferson 2) Adams 3) Weld 4) Larimer 5) El Paso

Regroup and take responsibility for the choices you make when you’re on the road. If your phone is a temptation, put it out of reach before you start the car. Eat before you drive. And, focus on the most important task at hand at that moment - driving.

Troopers continue to take a low tolerance approach to lane violations while launching a yearlong campaign called “Stay in Your Lane.” This campaign is designed to remind people to control their lane position based on their current driving environment. This campaign also aims to bring attention to three of the most common and avoidable behaviors that contribute to lane violations – driving aggressively, driving distracted or driving while impaired.