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It might be texting a friend that you’re on the way. It could be enjoying your favorite fast food treat. Or sometimes it is something as simple as cranking the radio up a couple of extra notches when your favorite tune comes on.

If you are doing any of it behind the wheel of a vehicle, they all are examples of distracted driving. They’re also examples of activities that could get you killed in an auto accident, and a new ranking that uses federal statistics shows that such fatal accidents are occurring at a higher rate in Kansas than in many other states.

Out of all U.S. states, Kansas has the fourth-highest rate of traffic deaths that involve distracted drivers, according to new statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Between 2017 and 2021, Kansas reported 409 deaths involving distracted drivers; that’s about 81 deaths every year, or 1.5 deaths a week.

Crashes involving distracted drivers made up 22% of the 1,989 traffic fatalities in Kansas from 2017 to 2021, according to the federal report. Most states around us don’t have a rate nearly that high. Distracted driving was a cause of just 6% of traffic deaths in Nebraska during that time period. In Missouri, the rate was 8%. Colorado and Oklahoma were similar at 9% and 8%, respectively.

Only New Mexico, Hawaii and New Jersey were higher than Kansas. New Mexico topped the list with 37% of all traffic fatalities involving distracted driving. The ranking was compiled by the financial services and insurance company LendingTree.

A cellphone problem

Law enforcement agencies across the state agree that the most common distractions are cellphones or other similar “wireless communications devices,” as they are referred to in most traffic code ordinance manuals.

The Kansas Legislature has addressed cellphone use by adding specific language in the law to address texting and driving. The changes make it illegal to write, send or read a written communication on a device, but the law has a few exceptions that make it difficult to enforce, said Officer Skyler Richardson with the Lawrence Police Department’s accident investigation unit.

“For example, it’s ‘legal’ to type a phone number in, or to search within the address book, or to use maps to navigate,” Richardson said. Other activities allowed by state law while driving include reading weather or traffic alerts and reporting crimes.

“It’s a very frequent occurrence to see drivers who have their phone in one hand and driving with the other,” Richardson said. “During routine traffic enforcement efforts, officers are trained to look at human behavior and are supposed to address behaviors which create a risk to the public.”

In Lawrence, the penalty for texting and driving is an $80 fine plus a $60 court fee. Drivers are allowed to safely pull to the side of the road to send or receive messages.

Richardson does have a tech tip that might help motorists avoid a ticket and be safer: Go hands free. He said he encourages drivers to look for hands-free options for cellphone use, including using Bluetooth for calls and programming the phone’s GPS with the audio turned on before getting on the road.

“It’s always a good idea to set up the GPS before the trip and mentally plan the trip out before even hitting the road,” Richardson said.

Some cities actually require people to go hands-free if they want to use their cellphones in their cars. In both Manhattan and Junction City, drivers are only allowed to talk on or listen to a cellphone if they’re using it hands-free.

Be aware

Even if you aren’t texting and driving, that doesn’t mean you’re safe from distracted driving accidents. For one thing, cellphones aren’t the only thing that can take your attention off the road. But you also need to take steps to protect yourself from other drivers who may be distracted, Richardson said.

“Vigilance is the best thing another driver can do,” Richardson said.

Remembering and practicing some basics from driver’s education can prevent crashes and save lives. Richardson said recognizing and avoiding another driver’s blind spots and regularly checking mirrors can keep drivers aware of approaching danger, potentially giving them the chance to avoid a crash.

“When at a red light, do not divert your attention away from your surroundings,” Richardson said. “Pay attention to the rearview mirror, as this is where the ‘threat’ of a distracted driver will be most likely coming from.”

Beyond cellphones and other distractions, some drivers are just careless.

“Each individual member of the driving population needs to make a pledge to give their full attention to their driving and not allow the temptation of their phone or other occupants become a barrier to safe driving. A crash can happen in a split second, literally, and human reaction time is much greater,” Richardson said.

A citation for inattentive or careless driving in Lawrence can also result in an $80 fine and a $60 court fee, but those costs may be the least of a driver’s worries if they cause a more severe crash.

“If distraction is cited as a contributing factor in a crash, drivers who cause serious injury or death to another as a result open themselves up to criminal and/or civil liability,” Richardson said.