By Jennifer Morrison, Director of Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda
Jennifer Morrison has spent over 20 years in road safety, first as an Investigator-in-Charge at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and now as the Director of Vehicle Safety Strategy at Mazda North American Operations. At Mazda, Morrison oversees vehicle safety compliance, ratings, and research with the aim for Mazda vehicles helping to better support and protect drivers, occupants, and all road users.
Distracted driving is often reduced to one familiar image: a driver glancing down at a phone. That image matters because cell phones remain one of the clearest and most persistent distractions on the road. But distraction is broader than that. It can be a notification buzzing in your bag, a stressful conversation you are still replaying in your head, a child asking for help from the back seat, or the pressure of trying to get everyone where they need to be on time. For parents, that broader view matters because family driving is full of moving parts, and distraction often starts before the vehicle even leaves the driveway.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month was just observed in April, but it is important to keep the spotlight on distracted driving beyond the month designated to highlight it. NHTSA says distracted driving killed 3,208 people in 2024, underscoring how often a momentary lapse in attention can turn serious. For families heading into a busy spring of school drop-offs, sports, errands, and weekend travel, the safest approach is not just reacting well in a dangerous moment, but building routines that lower risk from the beginning.
Distraction Is Bigger Than a Phone
One of the most effective safety habits is making the first few minutes of a drive calmer and more intentional. This can include setting navigation before shifting into gear, securing loose items, and handing snacks back before pulling away, not while merging into traffic. Putting your phone out of reach is another impactful habit to integrate. For many drivers, “I won’t look at it” is not a strong enough plan. Out of sight and out of hand is best.
It is also important for parents to recognize that distraction is not always visual or manual. Mental distraction is real, and it is easy to underestimate. You can be looking straight ahead and still not be fully driving. Stress, fatigue, multitasking, and cognitive overload all affect attention. Taking a moment to reset before starting the car can be one of the smartest safety decisions you make that day.
Why Family Driving Comes With Unique Risks
Driving with kids in the car adds a layer of complexity that many parents know well. A dropped toy, a request to change the music, a sibling argument, or a quick attempt to solve a problem while in motion can all pull attention away from the road. These moments can feel small, but they add up quickly.
That is why family safety in the car often depends on reducing the need to multitask in the first place. The most effective routines are usually the simplest ones: buckle everyone in before adjusting anything else, make sure essentials are within reach before you leave, and pull over if something needs immediate attention. For younger children, preparation also includes basics like proper restraint setup and seat positioning, which can reduce stress in the cabin and help parents stay focused on the road. Families may also benefit from reviewing current car seat and booster seat safety guidance before a busy travel season.
Parents Set the Tone Behind the Wheel
Kids are always watching, and that becomes even more important as they grow into new drivers themselves. Teens are not inherently unsafe drivers; they are inexperienced drivers. They do not yet have the same driving muscle memory or split-second judgment that comes with years on the road. That means even a brief lapse in attention can have bigger consequences. It also means they are absorbing what safe driving looks like from the adults around them.
If a teen sees a parent checking a text at a stoplight, reaching for a phone while driving, or trying to manage too many things at once behind the wheel, that behavior can start to feel normal. The opposite is true, too. A parent who models attentive, phone-free driving sends a much stronger message than any lecture ever could.
How Technology Can Help, and Where It Can’t
Technology has changed the driving environment in complicated ways. Smartphones have created new distractions, but modern vehicles also offer tools that can help reduce risk when they are used correctly. Technology like Apple Carplay and Android Auto, make it possible to stay connected more safely through built-in vehicle interface versus a hand held phone. Although, their role should be kept in perspective and no distraction is always best.
Drivers increasingly expect advanced safety features to be part of the vehicle, not an added luxury. Features like Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Driver Attention Alert systems can serve as important backstops if a driver’s attention slips for a moment. This is something to pay attention to when shopping for a vehicle and considering safety, some brands have safety technology standard in all models, for others it is considered an upgrade. This is something third party safety accolades can help with in the research process.
Mazda is the Safest New-Car Brand according to Consumer Reports, a ranking crediting automakers for having these crash-avoidance features as standard equipment, in addition to strong crashworthiness, braking, handling, and control usability.
Simple Habits Families Can Build Before Every Drive
For families, the goal should be to build a safety mindset that combines both behavior and technology. Start with the human habits. Keep the cabin as calm and predictable as possible. Treat the phone like a distraction, not a companion. Pull over if a child needs immediate attention. For teen drivers, keep passenger rules tight in the beginning and let them build confidence.
Then layer in technology as support. Choose vehicles with proven crash-avoidance features. Help new drivers learn what those systems do, how they alert, and where their limits are. Safety technology works best when drivers understand it and use it as an added layer of protection, not as permission to pay less attention.
The Goal Is Support, Not Substitution
There is reason for encouragement. Recent research from Cambridge Mobile Telematics found distracted driving fell 8.6% in 2024, pointing to that as a sign that awareness, safer technology integration, and changing habits may be helping. But progress does not change the core responsibility behind the wheel. Families still need routines that make focused driving feel normal, repeatable, and realistic in everyday life.
The safest drive is rarely the result of one heroic reaction. More often, it is the result of small choices made early: the phone put away, the destination entered before departure, the driver who takes a breath before pulling out of the driveway, the parent who shows a teen what full attention behind the wheel actually looks like.
Safe driving starts before the car moves. Not after the warning chime. Not in the middle of a near miss. It starts with the habits families build every day.
