Police Across Maryland Target Distracted Driving in April

Have you noticed more police on the roads?

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and many officers are on the lookout for people who are not paying full attention behind the wheel.

Police will be conducting distracted driving enforcement near toll facilities from April 8 to 16, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

“Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving,” according to a statement from the agency, which reported its officers would be focused on handheld cell phone use, including phone calls and texting while driving.

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The fines for using a handheld phone while driving range from $83 for the first offense to $160 for the third offense, according to Maryland Transportation Authority. There may be points if a crash occurred, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration reports.

“Jake’s Law,” which took effect last fall, calls for a $5,000 fine and up to a year in jail for drivers who cause a serious or fatal crash while using a cellphone.

Distracted driving is involved in 58 percent of total crashes and half of all fatal crashes statewide, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, which reports there are over 53,000 distracted driving crashes in Maryland every year.

Activities associated with making a phone call while driving, like reaching for the phone and looking for a number, triple the likelihood of a crash, while texting doubles the chances of a crash, according to a study from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Go to distraction.gov or the Maryland Highway Safety Office for more information.