Gloucester Twp. Take Note: Targeted Distracted Driving Enforcement Afoot Across NJ

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Gloucester Township Police Department recently received a $10,500 grant from the State of New Jersey to help the department crack down on those who drive while distracted, a press release from the State Attorney General’s Office said.

The announcement came as the State of New Jersey kicked off Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which is held annually each April.

Local police departments across the Garden State will be teaming up with New Jersey State Police as part of the commemoration, which seeks to bring greater attention to the risks that come when a driver takes his or her eyes off the wheel, according to the press release.

In addition to the announcement of grant recipients like Gloucester Township, this year’s awareness month kicked off with several state agencies releasing new data that indicated almost one-third of all fatal crashes in New Jersey from 2011 to 2020 involved a distracted driver. Half of all crashes during that same time also had a distracted driver, that data also showed.

“Distracted driving continues to be a serious problem in New Jersey,” New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in the press release. “Drivers are responsible for their actions behind the wheel of a vehicle. Please put the phone down and eliminate other driving distractions so the focus can be on driving safely.”

The use of a handheld electronic device while driving in New Jersey is illegal, according to the press release. First-time offenders face fines ranging from $200 to $400 and repeat offenders face higher fines and points on their driver’s license, the press release also said.

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