NILES, Ohio (WKBN) – In honor of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a news conference was held off Route 46 to raise awareness about the dangers of driving distracted.

The presentation was put on by AAA East Central, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

According to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed over 3500 people in 2021. A new AAA survey also found 81% of drivers are aware of safe driving features on their phones yet 54% have never used the feature to help avoid texts and calls while driving.

“Right now it’s just so important that we take matters into our own hands and make a conscious decision not to text and drive,” said Tiffany Stanley, a spokesperson for AAA.

Triple AAA’s slogan is Don’t Drive Intexticated.