The CEI Group, Inc. (CEI) is urging fleets to recognize April as Distracted Driving Awareness month by asking fleet drivers to sign a nationwide pledge to avoid distracted driving.

"Despite all the attention, distracted driving accidents are becoming more frequent," said Brian Kinniry, CEI's senior director of strategic account services. "And while the focus is on teen drivers, studies show that every age group is using cell phones and texting when behind the wheel."

Studies have proven that hands-free cell phone use is just as dangerous as hand-held, because it's the conversation itself that interferes with recognizing road hazards, Kinniry said.

"The best policy for using a cell phone while on the road is to shut it off when you enter your vehicle, and use it only after you've pulled off the road and are stopped in safe place," he said.

The downloadable pledge appears on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website here.

It reads:

The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. Make the commitment to drive phone-free today.

Distracted driving kills and injures thousands of people each year. I pledge to:

• Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving.

• Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted.

• Encourage my friends and family to drive phone-free.