Distracted Driving Targeted In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — The Hamden Legislative Council recently approved the acceptance of a state grant that will cover 100 percent of the Hamden Police Department’s staffing expenses for an upcoming program that targets distracted driving in town. The state DOT’s 2019 Distracted Driving High Visibility Enforcement Program (DDHVE) will be effective from April 2 through April 30 and from Aug. 1 through Aug. 15.

The benefits of this grant program help Hamden “enforce laws against distracted driving to reduce the cause of accident and injuries resulting from drivers distracted by handheld mobile devices, and also minimize other motor vehicle driver distractions,” according to a press release from the mayor’s office.

“Distracted driving is no joke and, in the age of technology, is becoming a bigger problem than ever before,” Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said. “Hamden has tackled traffic calming, pedestrian safety and distracted driving issues over the past few years, and we are very pleased these CTDOT funds will help ensure our efforts continue. The Hamden Police Department will be participating fully in the DDHVE program, and we are hopeful that distracted drivers take notice.”