Police Plan to Use Traditional and Innovative Enforcement Stategies to Crack Down on Motorists Who Text While Driving

The Peabody Police Department will join other participating Massachusetts law enforcement agencies in the national U Drive, U Text, U Pay mobilization to crack down on motorists who text while driving.

The campaign, which combines traditional and innovative enforcement strategies, is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

The mobilization begins on Friday, April 10 and will continue until May 1.

Texting while driving was outlawed in Massachusetts effective September 30, 2010. Adult drivers who write, send, read electronic messages or browse the Internet while driving face a $100 fine for a first offense – even if the vehicle is stopped in traffic.

Juvenile operators are entirely prohibited from using mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving, including to make phone calls. The fine for a juvenile first offense is $100, including a 60 day license suspension. An additional requirement is the completion of a mandated Driver Attitudinal Retraining Course.

Nationally in 2013, there were 3,154 people killed and an estimated 424,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

According to a recent Teen Driver Distraction Study,”25% of teens respond to a text message at least once every time they drive. 20% of teens and 10% of parents admit that they have multi-message text conversations while driving.

“Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving. It creates the perfect scenario for a crash causing an extreme public safety hazard,” said Chief Thomas Griffin.

News release courtesy of the Peabody Police Department.

Photo credit: cdllife.com