2015

Distracted
Driving High
Visibility
Enforcement Campaign
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Traffic Off. OConnell
TELEPHONE: (860) 442-9451, x2314
FOR RELEASE: April 1, 2015
FAX: (860) 443-3953
WEB SITE: www.waterfordpolice.org

WATERFORD POLICE TO BEGIN MAJOR CRACKDOWN

ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING
Police Agencies Participate in the National Distracted Driving Awareness
Month - U Drive. U Text. U Pay. Statewide Campaign Crackdown
WATERFORD, CT The Waterford Police Department along with the
Connecticut Department of Transportations Highway Safety Office, today
announced the kick-off of U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY. an effort to crackdown
on motorists who choose to text, talk or otherwise distract themselves from
the task of driving by using a hand-held mobile phone.
This effort is part of a larger campaign sponsored by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) who deems the month of April,
national distracted driving awareness month.
The Waterford Police
department is participating in this campaign by adding special patrols
aimed at catching distracted drivers especially those on their phones.
Driving and texting is illegal and irresponsible. People who break our States
texting law will be stopped and fined. If you drive and text, you will pay, said
. For those who say that driving and texting is an epidemic, we believe
enforcement of our hand-held mobile phone ban law is part of the cure.
Under Connecticuts cell phone and texting law, violations involve heavy
fines, ranging from $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second violation, and
$500 for each subsequent violation.
As many as 50 law enforcement agencies including state and local police will
take part in the mobilization to enforce Connecticuts tough law that prohibits
motorists from texting and/or using hand-held cell phones while driving. The
crackdown will span the entire month of April. During a similar, three week
campaign last September, over 7,000 motorists received a citation for using

their phone while driving.

In 2013, 3,154 people were killed and an estimated additional 424,000 were
injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. According to a
2014 special article in the New England Journal of Medicine, the risk of a
crash or near-crash among novice drivers increased with the performance of
many secondary tasks, including texting and dialing cell phones.
Police will be keeping an especially close eye out for drivers who text and
drive. 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
proverbial perfect storm for a crash, and no one has the right to put another
persons life at risk like that, said Waterford Police Department Lieutenant
Brett Mahoney.
Connecticut remains the only state in the nation to receive special distracted
driving prevention funds the same funds that allow for special patrols to
identify, stop and cite drivers who choose to ignore distracted driving laws.
Over $4.6 million dollars has been awarded to the state over the last two
years specifically to fund campaigns like this one. Connecticut qualifies for
this federal funding source through a mix of tough laws and, a proven track
record in strong enforcement of distracted driving laws.
Its not that complicated: if you text and drive, we will see you, pull you
over, and fine you. Were serious about enforcing texting laws, said
Mahoney.
For more information
www/distraction.gov.

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