Milford PD Completes Distracted Driving Enforcement Campaign

Press release from the Milford Police Department:

Oct. 28, 2020

The Milford Police Department completed their Distracted Driving High Visibility Enforcement Campaign, which resulted in 39 violations that were addressed during October 1-15, 2020. For further details regarding this initiative, please refer to the original Press Release below that was published on October 1, 2020.

Message to Motorists: Don’t Drive Distracted

“U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” Enforcement Period to Kick off October 1

The Milford Police Department and Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety
Office, along with State and other local law enforcement, has announced today that its “U DRIVE.
U TEXT. U PAY.” campaign will launch on October 1. Through this initiative, officers will be
cracking down on motorists who text, talk, or distract themselves with a hand-held mobile phone
while driving. This high-visibility enforcement effort is a partnership with the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and will run through
October 15, 2020.

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. From 2018-2019, there was a 50% increase in
fatal distracted driving crashes.

Since 2015, more than 38,000 crashes in Connecticut have involved a distraction. Pedestrians
and cyclists represent less than 0.5% of those involved in distracted driving crashes, but they
account for 27% of the resulting deaths.

“People know texting and driving is dangerous and illegal, but many do it anyway, putting
others at risk,” said Joseph Giulietti, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of
Transportation. “In Connecticut in 2019, more than 6,600 crashes were attributed to
distracted driving.”

More than 40 law enforcement agencies, both state and local police, will be participating in the
October 1st- 15th campaign.

“More and more motorists are back on the roads, returning to work and school,” added
Giulietti. “If law enforcement sees you texting and driving, they will stop and ticket you.”

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.

For more information, visit www.distraction.gov

This press release was produced by the Milford Police Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.