Erie Insurance has joined with a Virginia non-profit to call attention to the issue of distracted driving.

The Erie, Pa., insurer, which has three offices in Virginia, recently joined DRIVE SMART Virginia to recognize today (April 29) as “Distracted Driving Awareness Day” in Virginia.

DRIVE SMART Virginia is a non-profit in the state founded by auto insurance companies that represent more than 85% of the driving policyholders on state roads, dedicated to increase safe driving.

In addition to Erie, Allstate, Nationwide, USAA and the Virginia Farm Bureau are all included in the group’s membership.

The group cited a Virginia Tech study, which indicates that of crash and near-crash occurrences, 80% of crashes and 65% of near crashed involved a distracted driving incident within 3 seconds of the event.

The study found that certain activities increase the risk of a crash, including reaching for a moving object (9 times increase in crash risk) and driving drowsy (5 times increase in crash risk. Looking at an external object, reading, dialing a phone and applying makeup all increase crash risk by at least 3 times, according to the study.

With cell phone use more frequent and lasting longer than those activities, it remains the top source of driver inattention behind the wheel, according to DRIVE SMART Virginia.

On July 1, a new law goes into effect in the state that will prohibit text messaging behind the wheel.

“Distracted drivers are a huge problem on the road, whether they’re chatting with a friend or just having a snack on the go,” James Timm, claims manager for Erie Insurance’s Richmond office said in a statement. “That’s why Erie Insurance is joining DRIVE SMART Virginia and its partners in recognizing Distracted Driving Awareness Day.”