AAA: Stay safe while traveling this holiday

ATLANTA -- Authorities are warning motorists to stay safe this holiday by focusing on the road, not a mobile device.

A new poll from AAA indicates that eight in 10 feel less safe as a passenger in a vehicle with a driver who is texting. According to AAA, some sort of driver inattention occurs in an estimated 80 percent of all crashes.

"There is a growing concern about distracted driving and its impact on safe driving", Michele Harris, director of AAA traffic safety culture, The Auto Club Group, said in a news release. "Every year, nearly 40,000 people die on our nation's roadways, and that is about the same number as if a 727 jet crashed every single day of the year. If this were to ever be a reality, people would demand that something be done about it."

Many states, including Georgia, have banned motorists from texting while behind the wheel. AAA suggests pulling off the road before making a call and even programming a GPS before hitting the road.