AAA launches campaign for Distracted Driver Awareness Month

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - April is distracted Driver Awareness Month and the American Automobile Association (AAA) is launching a campaign to put the brakes on drivers who text and use their cell phones while driving.

Getting behind the wheel in Southern California can be incredibly dangerous, and distracted driving makes that risk higher every day.

According to AAA, distracted driving killed 3,142 people in 2020. That's a massive number considering many people drove less during the pandemic.

If you break it down, an average of nine lives were lost each day. In L.A. alone this year, more than 5,000 drivers have been cited for driving while using their phone.