Date: August
2, 2019
Re: Darien
Police Enforcing Distracted Driving
Issued by: Captain Jeremiah P. Marron Jr.
Connecticut DOT Reminds Residents to
Put Down That Phone
Next
Wave of "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." Campaign
August
1 - August 15
DARIEN, CONN.
– The Connecticut Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Office has announced
the second wave of the "U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY." campaign. Through
this initiative, officers will be cracking down on motorists who text, talk, or
distract themselves with a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The campaign
runs from August 1 - 15, and is now in its fifth year.
“Too many drivers are ignoring their
responsibilities behind the wheel,” said Joseph Giulietti, Commissioner of the Connecticut
Department of Transportation. “Starting
August 1, the community will see an increased and highly visible law
enforcement presence on our roadways as officers will be stopping and ticketing
anyone who is texting and driving.”
During the first wave of the campaign
in April 2019, more than 10,000 citations were
issued to motorists who "chose to ignore Connecticut's distracted driving
laws,” added Giulietti.
The second phase of this two-part
campaign will also have special patrols aimed at saving lives and protecting
the public. More than 50 law enforcement agencies, both state and local police,
who were previously involved in the April 2019 campaign, will again be
participating.
Over the past decade, distracted
driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes on our nation’s
roads. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between
2012-2017, nearly 20,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. In
fact, there were 3,166 people killed in motor vehicle crashes involving
distracted drivers in 2017. While this represents a 9 percent decrease in
distracted driving fatalities from 2016 to 2017, there is clearly more work to
be done.
Since
2015, nearly 33,000 crashes in Connecticut have involved a distraction - resulting
in 45 fatal crashes.
Fines in Connecticut for
violations begin at $150 for a first offense, increase to $300 for a second
offense, and are $500 for subsequent violations.
For more information, visit www.distraction.gov
###