Havre de Grace Drivers, Put Down the Phones: Police

Officers will be on the lookout for drivers using handheld devices this month, according to a statement from the Havre de Grace Police Department.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Havre de Grace Police Department has pledged its support to stop distracted driving by promoting the "One Text or Call Could Wreck It All" campaign in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

There were 3,328 people killed and an estimated 421,000 others injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2012, according to the traffic safety administration.

In Maryland, it is illegal to text and drive, including at red lights. It is also illegal to use a handheld device for talking on the phone. Those with learners permits or provisional permits and those under 18 years of age are not allowed to be on the phone at all.

During the month of April, Havre de Grace officers will be looking for drivers who violate the law and will be issuing citations.

"While anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving is a hazard," police said, "there is heightened concern about the risks of texting while driving because it combines all three types of distraction—visual, manual and cognitive."

Police advised drivers to put down the cell phones. Said police: "Drive safe and arrive alive."