Drivers are urged to put phones down amid Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office tells us April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and safety advocates are urging drivers to avoid texting and cellphone use while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2021 there were 3,522 people killed in traffic crashes involving a distracted driver -- an average of 10 people killed each day.

That same year, an estimated 362,415 people were injured in distracted driving crashes. In California alone, 828 people have died in distracted driving crashes since the start of 2021.

Even with those high numbers, according to AAA, distraction-related crash fatalities and injuries are underreported because the behavior is difficult to detect during crash investigations, and police reports often understate the number of incidents.