Haymarket Police warn about dangers of distracted driving

April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month and the Haymarket Police Department is participating in a nationwide campaign to spread the word about the dangers of driving while distracted. Members of the police department have placed or are placing Awareness flyers in multiple locations around town. They will also be holding a mini checkpoint and handing out informational literature to all drivers.

Additional information is posted on the town’s website with a link to Distraction.gov for those who wish to learn more about the dangers of Distracted Driving and what they can do as drivers to help with this campaign.

Dangerous distractions while driving include such activities as texting or talking on cell phone, eating or drinking, grooming, adjusting the radio, or using a navigation system.  These are just some of the distractions that could take your attention away from your driving, Texting is the most alarming distraction to date as it requires use of your hands, eyes, and mind to read and to answer a text message, according to a news release from the police department.

“The main focus of The Haymarket Police Department is to keep our community safe. We encourage everyone in the community to pay more attention to their driving and less attention to everything else.  Every time you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle please remember to stay alert, buckle up, and obey the speed limit,” the police department’s news release said.