Naugatuck Police To Ramp-Up Enforcement For Distracted Driving

NAUGATUCK, CT — Naugatuck police are taking part in a "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." enforcement campaign that officially kicked off Saturday.

According to a news release provided by police, the campaign is in partnership with state and local law enforcement and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The campaign will step up enforcement efforts to enforce distracted-driving laws from Oct. 15-31.

In 2020, there were nearly 5,000 crashes attributed to distracted driving in Connecticut, according to Naugatuck police.

Since 2015, Connecticut has been measuring rates of distracted driving. August 2021 saw the highest rate of drivers either texting or talking on a hand-held cell phone since the first round of observations in March 2015, according to Naugatuck police.

Connecticut law prohibits the use of any hand-held mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers who are 16 or 17 years of age are prohibited from using a cell phone or mobile device at any time, even with a hands-free accessory.

According to NHTSA data provided by Naugatuck police, 26,004 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver between 2012 and 2019. While fatalities from motor vehicle crashes decreased slightly from 2018, distraction-related fatalities increased by 10 percent.

NHTSA also reported that the number of deaths linked to driver distraction was 3,142 nationwide, or almost 9 percent of all fatalities, in 2019. This represents a 10percent increase over the year 2018, or 284 more fatalities. The distraction figure was the largest increase in causes of traffic deaths reported for 2019.

According to Naugatuck police, drivers who are ticketed for distracted driving are fined $200 for the first offense, $375 for the second offense and $625 for the third and subsequent offenses.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation urges motorists to put their phone down when they get behind the wheel. If someone needs to text, pull over and park the vehicle in a safe place first.

More information is available at www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving.