Waterford Police Launching Second Distracted Driving Campaign this Year for August

WATERFORD, CT – The Waterford Police Department, along with the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office, announced Tuesday the continuation of the “U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY.” initiative.

The campaign is an effort to crackdown on motorists who choose to text, talk or otherwise distract themselves from the task of driving by using a hand-held mobile phone, according to a release.

Surveys conducted last year’s crackdown show there was an 8 percent drop in phone use by drivers at observation locations where police conducted enforcement. The drop is encouraging to law enforcement agencies, who remind motorists that mobile phone use while driving is both dangerous and illegal.

The campaign will run from Aug. 3 to 16, and marks the second time this year officers will add special patrols aimed at catching distracted drivers.

The April 2016 campaign resulted in over 12,000 citations issued to motorists who chose to ignore Connecticut’s distracted driving laws. Nearly 50 law enforcement agencies including both state and local police are again participating in this operation – aimed at keeping Connecticut’s roadways safe.

“We’re making gains”, said Lieutenant David Burton in a release. “Considering the seriousness of this problem and the fact that we saw movement in the right direction is a sign we need to continue to this program.”

Under Connecticut’s cell phone and texting law, violations involve heavy fines, ranging from $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second violation, and $500 for each subsequent violation. In 2014, 3,179 people were killed and an estimated additional 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

Connecticut remains the only state in the nation to receive special distracted driving prevention funds. The same funds that allow for special patrols to identify, stop and cite drivers who choose to ignore distracted driving laws.

Over $6.8 million dollars have been awarded to the state over the last three years specifically to fund campaigns like this one. Connecticut qualifies for this federal funding source through a mix of tough laws and a proven track record in strong enforcement of distracted driving laws.

“We’re going to keep doing this until people get the message” Burton said.

For more information about national distracted driving issues, visit www/distraction.gov.