MANCHESTER – Manchester police will be cracking down on distracted drivers more than usual in April as part of a statwide “UDrive. UText. UPay.” campaign.
From April 1 to April 21, officers will be looking for drivers talking or texting with their cell phones.
“Distracted driving is possibly the most serious safety issue on our roadways today,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed in distracted driving crashes and an estimated 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.”
Police said drivers being distracted was a contributing factor in more than half of crashes in the state in 2015. At 52 percent, it was a factor in crashes nine times more than speed, which was the next highest factor.
Even glancing at your phone for a few seconds can have disastrous consequences, police said. Therefore, people are urged not to even send a quick text or looking at an incoming call to see who it is.
To learn more about the dangers of distracted driving can find more information at https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
