Stamford Police Begin Distracted Driving Crackdown

Nearly 60 traffic violations were issued Wednesday morning by Stamford Police who kicked off a month-long campaign to reduce distracted driving.

In the the first 3 1/2 hours, officers assigned to the southbound I-95 Exit 8 off ramp, issued 31 talking on a cell phone while driving violations, 13 texting while driving violations, 11 red light violations, and 2 operating a vehicle without a license violations.

This morning’s Anti-Texting Enforcement Project is part of the “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office.

This is an effort to crackdown on motorists who text, talk or otherwise distract themselves from the task of driving by using a hand-held mobile phone, police said. The campaign will run through April 30.

This effort is part of a larger campaign sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – who has declared April as national distracted driving awareness month. Law enforcement patrols will target motorists who choose to ignore Connecticut’s hand held mobile phone ban. Under Connecticut’s cell phone and texting law, violations involve significant fines, ranging from $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second violation, and $500 for each subsequent violation.

Enforcement patrols will be out throughout the city of Stamford during the month, in an effort to stress Connecticut’s zero tolerance for distracted drivers.

“Driving and texting is illegal and irresponsible. People who break our state’s texting law will be stopped and fined. If you drive and text, you will pay,” said Sgt. Andrew Gallagher, “For those who say that driving and texting is an epidemic, we believe enforcement of our hand-held mobile phone ban law is part of the cure.”

Gallagher told WCBS Radio 880 that one woman driver was cited when officers saw her eating a bowl of oatmeal while steering her vehicle with her knees while driving on southbound Exit 8 of I-95.

As many as 50 law enforcement agencies including state and local police will take part in the mobilization to enforce Connecticut’s tough law that prohibits motorists from texting and/or using hand-held cell phones while driving. During a similar, three week campaign last September, more than 7,000 motorists, statewide, received a citation for using their phone while driving.

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