By Kerri Williams

WESTPORT – A grant through the Connecticut Department of Transportation allowed police to hone in on distracted drivers during May.

According to Westport Police Captain Eric Woods, police pulled over vehicles in which the driver was looking at their cell phone or was distracted in some other way. The grant covered those driving on state roads, Woods said.

During the month, there were 289 traffic stops, 202 infractions, 61 written warnings, 13 verbal warnings, and one summons. Not all the stops were for distracted drivers, Woods said, although that was the focus of the program.

“We were able to hire more officers to come in,” said Woods, adding that the department is sometimes limited in officers who can conduct traffic enforcement.

Woods said that distracted driving is a “very serious issue and one that drivers do not take seriously.”

While drivers using cell phones is a big part of the problem, there are also other distractions, which include eating, putting on makeup, and driving with pets in your lap.

“If your attention is anywhere other than the road, you are driving distracted and putting yourself and others at risk of a crash, injury or death,” said CT DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. “Distracted drivers often do not see the risk of their behavior until it’s too late.”

In Connecticut in 2022, there were nearly 5,200 crashes attributed to distracted driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 3,100 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2020, the last year of available national data.

Drivers who are ticketed for driving while distracted in Connecticut are fined $200 for the first offense, $375 for the second offense, and $625 for subsequent offenses.

The program, called “U Drive. U Text. U Pay,” is part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  The enforcement effort is a partnership with state and local law enforcement, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the NHTSA.

Safety tips for avoiding distracted driving include the following:

• Be an example to family and friends by putting your phone away when getting behind the wheel.
• Activate the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone or put your silenced device where it cannot be reached until you reach your destination.
• If you need to send or receive a text, pull over and park your car in a safe location.
• Give control of your phone to your passenger.
• Even when hands-free, do not stream or watch movies or videos.
• If you see someone texting while driving, speak up.

Kerri Williams

^{_{Kerri Williams is an award-winning writer and journalist. She has worked as a reporter at the Norwalk Hour, as Living editor at the Darien News-Review, and managing editor for the Norwalk Citizen-News. For Westport Journal, she is a reporter as well as a gardening columnist, writing “Cultivating with Kerri.” She recently published her first children’s book – “Mabel’s Big Move,” based on her daughter with special needs.}}