Bethel Schools Partner with DOT Against Distracted Drivers

BETHEL, CT — April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office is today announcing a pilot program specifically focused on combating distracted driving near school bus stops. The program, in conjunction with law enforcement and school superintendents of Bethel, Monroe and Newtown, will focus on enforcing distracted driving laws during school bus pick up and drop off times throughout the month.

The enforcement will extend along Route 25 from the border of Monroe up to the center of
Newtown. Enforcement will also occur along the entire stretch of Route 302 in both Newtown and
Bethel.

“Distracted driving is a significant problem and has a significant impact on crashes and overall safety. It has become increasingly more of a problem, as it impacts school bus stops and school transportation,” added Dr. Christine Carver, Superintendent of Bethel Public Schools. “While we are aiming to reduce incidents of distracted driving in general, we are specifically interested in reducing those circumstances related to bus crashes, our student drivers and making sure our bus stops are safe.”

In late October 2018, five children were killed at school bus stops in three separate crashes in as many days in the U.S. Two of the three incidents were attributed to distracted driving.

Over the past decade, distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes on our nation’s roads. According to NHTSA, between 2012-2017, nearly 20,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. In fact, there were 3,166 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2017. While this represents a 9 percent decrease in distracted driving fatalities from 2016 to 2017, there is clearly more work to be done.

Violating Connecticut’s distracted-driving laws can be costly. Drivers who are ticketed are fined
$150 for the first offense, $300 for the second offense, and $500 for the third and subsequent
offenses.