Name: Anti-texting campaign aims to stop Connecticut distracted driving deaths
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Anti-texting campaign aims to stop Connecticut distracted driving deaths

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AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantOct 02, 2020 at 4:41 pmThere was a 50% increase in fatal distracted driving crashes from 2018 to 2019 in Connecticut, the state’s transportation agency said Friday, and police want to stop the deadly trend.To that end, state troopers and officers from around the state are participating in a special effort to ticket drivers who are illegally using their cellphones. In all, 42 departments are involved in the stepped-up enforcement, which started Thursday and runs through Oct. 15.AdvertisementEven during a pandemic, when many departments have tried to reduce unnecessary interactions with the public, police and officials at the state Department of Transportation feel the enforcement effort is important. There are more chances for deadly crashes as people get back on the roads after months of working and studying at home, they said.“As schools open up and more workers are going back into the office, it’s important to remind drivers to avoid distractions and keep their eyes on the road,” said Phyllis DiFiore, a DOT program manager. “Law enforcement are following safety measures provided by their department during the pandemic.”AdvertisementDubbed “U drive. U text. U pay,” the initiative has officers setting up a sort of sting operation during which one acts as a spotter and covertly peers into cars, looking for violators. The spotter relays details about offending drivers and their vehicles to other officers, who pull them over and give them tickets. Anyone handling a cellphone or other electronic device while behind the wheel ― even if at a stop ― is fair game.DailyWe're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. &gt; The tickets aren’t cheap: Drivers are fined $150 for the first offense, $300 for the second offense and $500 for the third or more.Over the past decade, distracted driving has become a leading cause of crashes on the nation’s roads, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Nearly 20,000 people nationally died in crashes involving distracted drivers between 2012 and 2017, the agency said.In Connecticut, the numbers also are grim, although perhaps not as high as they would have been without the anti-texting campaigns of the last six years: The number of fatal distracted driving crashes in the state rose from 10 in 2018 to 15 in 2019, a 50% increase, the DOT said.Since 2015, more than 38,000 crashes in Connecticut have involved a distraction, the state’s transportation agency said. Pedestrians and bicyclists are more likely to die in such collisions. Although pedestrians and cyclists represent less than 0.5% of people involved in distracted driving crashes, they account for 27% of the resulting deaths.In 2019 alone, more than 6,600 crashes in Connecticut were attributed to distracted driving, according to DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti.“People know texting and driving is dangerous and illegal,” he said, “but many do it anyway, putting others at risk.”Christine Dempsey can be reached at . Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Hartford CourantOct 02, 2020 at 4:41 pmThere was a 50% increase in fatal distracted driving crashes from 2018 to 2019 in Connecticut, the state’s transportation agency said Friday, and police want to stop the deadly trend.To that end, state troopers and officers from around the state are participating in a special effort to ticket drivers who are illegally using their cellphones. In all, 42 departments are involved in the stepped-up enforcement, which started Thursday and runs through Oct. 15.AdvertisementEven during a pandemic, when many departments have tried to reduce...

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Anti-texting campaign aims to stop Connecticut distracted driving deaths

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