WESTPORT — Police want motorists to know they will be devoting extra effort to crack down on distracted drivers this month.
Stepped-up enforcement against distracted driving in Westport is planned as part of April’s month-long “U Drive U Text U Pay” campaign, co-sponsored by the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office and the federal Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Distracted driving in 2020 was the cause of nearly 5,000 accidents in Connecticut, according to a statement announcing the campaign. Between 2012 and 2019, 26,004 people died nationwide in crashes caused by a distracted driver, the NHTSA said.
Distracted driving not only is dangerous, but it can be expensive.
State law prohibits the use of any hand-held mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle, police said. Drivers 16 or 17 years old are prohibited from using a cell phone or mobile device at any time, including with a hands-free accessory.
Drivers ticketed for distracted driving face a $200 fine for the first offense, $375 for the second and $625 for the third and subsequent offenses, police said.
Well, yes, this makes sense. But, why just April?
Many many people are driving around Westport with their steering wheel in one hand and their phone in the other.
Clamping down on this extremely dangerous and commonplace behavior could and should be a year-round priority.
Those fines are too low. First offense, $1,000, second offense you lose your license and third offense you go to jail.
Because it’s a federal grant with incentives. It is not an organic, local traffic effort – they do not exist in Westport.