There is a disturbing trend – a rise in the number of crashes caused by drivers who were using a cellphone at the time of impact.

If people had a better understanding of just how dangerous it is to use a cellphone while driving, they would put their phones down when they start up their cars. To learn more, please go to Distraction.gov – arguably the comprehensive distracted driving resource on the Web.

To raise awareness of this risk, let's turn to the numbers – specifically, Tennessee crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database.

A significant percentage of traffic deaths could be eliminated in our state if drivers stopped using cellphones when they are behind the wheel. The numbers don’t lie: 12 percent of the fatal car accidents that occurred in Tennessee during a recent four-year stretch (2010 to 2013) involved drivers who were distracted by cellphones, while 7 percent of the total number of traffic deaths could be traced to this same form of distraction.

Please visit www.notextzonetn.com  to read more interesting and comelling information about this dangerous trend... and you can make a difference.