During Distracted Driving Awareness Month, state troopers are partnering with police officers and sheriff’s deputies across the state to encourage safe driving in Nebraska.

Crash data from the Nebraska Department of Transportation shows that phone use accounted for more than 60% of distracted driving crashes in 2024. Nearly 1,000 crashes in Nebraska that year involved a driver distracted by a phone.

“Distracted driving can have tragic consequences,” said Col. Bryan Waugh, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “While distractions aren’t limited to your phone, phones are the prime contributor to distracted driving crashes. Keep yourself and others safe on the road. Put the phone down and keep your focus on the road.”

“Put the Phone Away or Pay” runs from April 9-13. The national campaign is organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with partnership from the Highway Safety Office of the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

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