Reps. Mann, Pappas Introduce Distracted Driving Awareness Month Resolution
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) led their colleagues Reps. Tom Barrett (MI-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Mike Carey (OH-15), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Kimberlyn King-Hinds (CNMI), Darin LaHood (IL-16), Mike Lawler (NY-17), John Moolenaar (MI-02), James Moylan (GU), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Derek Schmidt (KS-02), Tom Souzzi (NY-03), and Dina Titus (NV-03) in introducing a resolution to designate April 2026 as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
“Distracted driving is one of the most preventable dangers on our roads, yet it continues to take thousands of lives every year,” said Rep. Mann. "In the Big First District, with almost 84,000 miles of roadway, car travel is a part of our daily life. This resolution recognizes the work of law enforcement and transportation leaders while making clear that more must be done to keep drivers focused and families safe. Every time someone picks up their phone behind the wheel or becomes inattentive, they are putting lives at risk. This month and every month, we must recommit to keeping our eyes on the road and protecting our communities.”
“Distracted driving kills over 3,000 people every year, and injures more than 300,000,” said Rep. Pappas. “These losses are preventable, and it’s up to all of us to make sure everyone traveling on our roads makes it to their destination safely “I’m proud to partner with Representative Mann to mark Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and our resolution is a reminder that when we get behind the wheel, the only thing that deserves our full attention is the road.”
“Distracted driving is entirely preventable, yet it continues to take thousands of lives every year,” said Rep. King-Hinds. “By co-signing this resolution for Distracted Driving Awareness Month, I’m urging drivers in the Northern Mariana Islands and across our nation to stay focused, put the phone down, and make safety their top priority. A moment of attention can save a lifetime.”
“Each year, there are thousands of preventable deaths happening on America’s roads and hundreds of thousands more people are injured because of distracted driving," said Rep. Mullin. "While federal, state and local agencies must continue to help deter distracted driving through policies, infrastructure improvements and law enforcement, every single person also plays a vital role in keeping our roads safe. Distracted Driving Month is an important time to remember that losing focus while behind the wheel for even a moment – whether looking at your phone, a touch screen in your car, or anything else causing you to be distracted – can have dire consequences for you and others."
Click here for the text of the resolution.
This resolution is supported by Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), LifeSaver Mobile, MADD, National Safety Council, Safety and Advocacy for Empowerment (SAFE), and stopdistractions.org.
“GHSA commends Congressman Mann for recognizing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month and for shining a much-needed spotlight on one of the most pervasive and preventable threats on our roads,” said Jonathan Adkins, CEO of GHSA. “Distracted driving claims thousands of lives each year and forever changes countless families. This resolution reinforces an urgent need to change driver behavior, strengthen education and enforcement, and remind every road user that attention behind the wheel saves lives.”
“Distracted driving remains one of the most preventable causes of roadway fatalities in the United States,” said Ted Chen, Co-Founder & CEO of LifeSaver Mobile. "As Congress recognizes Distracted Driving Awareness Month, LifeSaver Mobile supports practical, technology-driven solutions that help drivers stay focused and save lives, even as constant mobile notifications increasingly compete for drivers’ attention behind the wheel.”
"Distracted driving is one of the most persistent and preventable threats on our roadways, taking an average of nine lives each day in 2024," said Lorraine Martin, CEO of the National Safety Council. "The National Safety Council applauds Congressman Mann for spearheading this resolution to promote efforts that address distracted driving and save lives. This month, and every month, NSC calls on all drivers to just drive — by making distraction-free driving the norm, not the exception."
“Whether it’s a phone in hand or alcohol in the system, distraction behind the wheel leads to the same tragic outcome: preventable crashes," said Brandy Nannini, board member of SAFE. "This Distracted Driving Awareness Month is a timely call to action for policymakers and motorists alike to eradicate all forms of dangerous distraction, including those caused by alcohol impairment.”
Each year, over 3,000 people are killed in crashes involving distracted driving. On March 13, 2023, a distracted truck driver struck and killed 16-year-old Cassy Linder on a highway in Garden City, Kansas. Her life was taken prematurely in an entirely preventable tragedy. Her story is a painful reminder of the importance of combating this issue through continued advocacy, raising awareness, and sound policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
"We appreciate the awareness of a problem that exists not only in Kansas, but throughout the United States," said the Linder family. "Our daughter, sister, and friend Cassy Kay should be here to grow up like the rest of us, but is not due to the selfishness of a distracted driver."
Cassy Linder
As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Mann has been committed to finding bipartisan solutions to improve roadway safety. Last April, Rep. Mann reintroduced the End DWI Act, which would create a national ignition interlock standard for first-time offenders. In December, Rep. Mann introduced the Roadway Safety Modernization Act, which would use predictive analytics to proactively identify and address transportation safety issues.
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