Hudson County Sheriff Kicks Off 2019 Distracted Driving Campaign

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — It’s no April Fools’ joke; the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) kicked off its campaign to nab distracted drivers on Monday, April 1.

As part of the annual statewide campaign, “Udrive. Utext. Upay.,” the HCSO earned $40,000 in funding that will power a crackdown on distracted drivers, the third year that the agency received the grant.

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According to Hudson County Sheriff Frank X. Schillari, the grant the HCSO received differs from that of most departments in the state. While the “Udrive,Utext,Upay” grant money most departments receives runs from April 1 to April 21, the HCSO grant runs from April 1 until Sept. 30.

“Having this grant allows me to put extra cops out on the street to focus on all forms of distracted driving,” Schillari said. “Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety alike. Remember, it’s not just texting even though texting is the most common form of distracted driving and is the most dangerous because it requires physical, mental and cognitive skills.”

Distracted driving is now the most common contributing factor of motor vehicle crashes nationwide. “A distracted driver is six times more likely to be involved in a crash,” the sheriff stated.

Schillari said that some things that may distract a driver besides texting include:

• eating and drinking
• talking to passengers
• grooming
• reading (including maps)
• using a navigation system
• watching a video
• adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player

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