New Tool Helps NJ Parents Keep Kids Distraction-Free While Driving

NEW JERSEY — A new tool rolled out this month is providing New Jersey parents with a one-stop shop for educating their kids and teens on the dangers of distracted driving.

In 2022, more than 3,300 people died and 289,000 were injured on U.S. roads as a result of distracted driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Almost 20 percent of those killed were people outside the vehicle — pedestrians, cyclists and others on the road.

To help curb distracted driving-related traffic deaths, the GHSA and State Farm teamed up to launch GenerationDistractionFree.org, a website of information and resources designed to build safe road habits in children of all ages.

"Ending something so entrenched as distracted driving means we have to create a new social norm where distraction is entirely unacceptable,” GHSA Chief Executive Office Jonathan Adkins said in a news release. "Giving families the information and tools to have these important conversations with their kids can help reduce distraction and make our roads safer for everyone using them."

In a 2024 study from an injury law firm, New Jersey was ranked as the fifth-worst state for distracted driving. According to the study, 183 deaths were attributed to distracted driving in 2022 — more than 25 percent of all fatal accidents in the state.

"It's a huge problem in New Jersey and all over the country," Pam Shadel Fischer of the GHSA told New Jersey 101.5.

The GenerationDistractionFree.org website offers tips for kids from newborns to teens. Officials hope the website will help parents and caregivers start the distraction conversation at an early age.

For example, the website suggests parents be positive role models and not only refrain from using their cell phones while driving, but also explain to their young children why they’re doing this.

For school-age kids, the website suggests parents explain that driving takes concentration and skill and set rules about what behavior is or is not acceptable in the car.

Once children reach their teenage years, the website calls on parents and caregivers to review their state’s driving laws and set family standards, such as no cell phone use or transporting peer passengers, a significant form of teen driver distraction.

The website also explains how state Graduated Driver License programs — which the GHSA attributes to helping reduce fatal novice driver crashes by as much as 50 percent — work by slowly phasing in driving responsibilities. Parents can search for their state’s law on the GHSA website.

For more information and to download the printable resources, visit GenerationDistractionFree.org.