Galloway, Absecon PDs Beef Up Patrols For Distracted Driving

GALLOWAY, N.J. — The Galloway, Absecon and Stockton University police departments will be among many in New Jersey putting extra focus on distracted driving in April. Expect beefed-up patrols around town during Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

New Jersey's "UDrive. UText. UPay." enforcement campaign will begin April 1 and run through April 21, targeting motorists who engage in bad driving behaviors such as talking on hand-held cell phones and sending text messages while driving.

The Galloway, Absecon and Stockton police departments will receive $5,500 each for the extra enforcement.

"Distracted driving is possibly the most serious safety issue on our roadways today," said Eric Heitmann, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that, in 2018 alone, 3,477 people were killed in distracted driving crashes and an estimated 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.

In New Jersey, driver inattention was listed as a contributing circumstance in 52 percent of the state's crashes in 2018. Driver inattention was listed as a contributing factor in crashes at a rate nine times higher than that of the next highest contributing factor, which was speeding.

The campaign will be carried out during the month of April, which the National Safety Council has designated as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The New Jersey campaign is modeled after similar successful high visibility enforcement programs such as Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

The following Atlantic County towns will beef up patrols in April:

• Absecon PD $5,500.00
• Atlantic City PD $5,500.00
• Egg Harbor Twp PD $5,500.00
• Galloway PD $5,500.00
• Hamilton PD $5,500.00
• Hammonton PD $5,500.00
• Northfield PD $5,500.00
• Stockton University PD $5,500.00

Read more: Cop Crackdown In These 185 NJ Towns: Here's Where

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