Distracted driving can turn normal days into life-changing events

What started as a normal work day a few years ago for a Wyoming Department of Transportation maintenance crew quickly became a life-changing event because of a distracted driver.

A truck driver who was using his laptop while driving sideswiped a WYDOT maintenance vehicle. A WYDOT worker sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while the truck driver walked away uninjured. The WYDOT employee, however, never went back to work.

“My guys and I have seen distracted driving getting worse over the years,” said Tony Avila, area foreman for WYDOT. “Every day we see people driving distracted in...