The Oklahoma Highway Patrol will begin a special emphasis on distracted driving this Saturday, Jan. 17, that will continue through the end of the month.

The mobilization is dedicated to and inspired by Trooper Nicholas Dees, who was killed by a distracted driver Jan. 31, 2015 in Seminole County. This is the 11th anniversary of honoring Dees’ life and sacrifice.

Trooper Dees and Trooper Keith Burch were investigating a collision involving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 40 when they were hit by an oncoming vehicle. While both troopers were standing outside their patrol units, a driver failed to yield to their warning lights and traveled into the collision scene, striking both troopers. Dees died instantly and Burch received serious injuries and has since retired.

Steven Wayne Clark was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and spent five years in prison. He served probation and is currently free. During the course of the investigation, phone records revealed Clark had been sending and receiving messages in the miles leading up to the crash.

The case led to the Trooper Nicholas Dees and Trooper Keith Burch Act of 2015, which states in part, “It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on any street or highway within this state while using a handheld electronic communication device to manually compose, send, or read an electronic text message while the motor vehicle is in motion.”

Distracted driving emphases will be conducted in troops throughout the state, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, during the last two weeks of January. Troopers will focus their daily enforcement on distracted driving laws.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed 3,275 lives in 2023.

What Is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.

Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing, the NHTSA says.