Distracted driving is a threat to the safety and security of residents every day, according to law enforcement officials.

In an effort to curb distracted driving, Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio State Highway Patrol have released a new dashboard devoted to distracted driving enforcement and education.

With advances in technology and mobile devices, distracted driving has emerged as a major contributor to crashes and deaths on the roads. Since 2016, there have been over 70,000 crashes in Ohio attributed to distracted driving, with over 2,000 of them causing serious injuries or fatalities. During the same time frame, troopers have issued more than 24,000 distracted driving citations.

Distracted driving is engaging in any activity that is not necessary to the operation of a vehicle and impairs, or reasonably would be expected to impair, the ability of the operator to drive the vehicle safely. Talking or texting on cellphones, eating and other distractions continue to cause crashes that have lifelong consequences for both violators and victims, according to the patrol.

There were 1,992 distracted driving crashes since Jan. 1 in Mahoning County. In that same time frame, Trumbull County recorded 1,577 and Columbiana recorded 672, according to the dashboard.

Last year, Mahoning County recorded 4,949 distracted driving crashes, while Trumbull County recorded 3,854 and Columbiana had 1,451.

“Right now, cars are safer than ever thanks to enhanced vehicle technology, but the roads are still as dangerous as ever because many drivers are increasingly distracted by cellphones,” DeWine states. “Last year was the deadliest year on Ohio’s roads in more than a decade, and distracted driving most certainly played a role. This new dashboard will help keep the public informed about this serious public safety issue.”

The Distracted Driving Dashboard has a detailed view of crashes and violations across Ohio, and shows the work that troopers around the state are doing to reduce the impact of distracted driving. The dashboard can be viewed at www.DistractedDrivingDashboard.ohio.gov.

The dashboard is part of the Ohio Statistics and Analytics for Traffic Safety (OSTATS), a series of internal and public-facing dashboards dedicated to exploration, analysis and visualization of crash data across Ohio. Users of the public-facing Distracted Driving Dashboard have the ability to filter data, find specific county and route statistics and get a front seat view of what troopers do every day to stop distracted driving. In addition, an interactive map shows videos of troopers enforcing violations and where distracted driving corridors are located in Ohio.

“Distracted driving remains a top safety concern for Ohioans and people traveling through our state,” said Col. Richard S. Fambro, patrol superintendent. “This dashboard furthers the patrol’s prioritization of saving lives. The new Distracted Driving Dashboard is a tool for the public, media and policy makers to see how troopers are making sure motorists keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

Troopers will focus on the problem while patrolling this summer and fall.

Anyone who sees dangerous driving is asked to safely call #677 to contact a local patrol post.