Law Enforcement will stop distracted drivers with U Drive. U Text. U Pay.
From April 1 to April 21, Winslow Township Police Department will be out in force looking for distracted drivers as part of the U Drive, U Text, U Pay Campaign, a high-visibility effort to enforce distracted-driving laws.
Texting and driving is illegal and dangerous, but it happens all the time. Beginning April 1, officers will stop and ticket anyone who is caught texting and driving.
Winslow Township Police Department is teaming up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make sure all motorists keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.
The fines for first time offenders are $200 to $400. The fine associated with a second offense will increase to $400 to $600, and drivers who are caught a third time or more will face a fine of $600 to $800. Also, beginning with the third offense, there will be three points assessed to the driver’s record and there may be a 90-day driver license suspension as well.
According to NHTSA, 3,477 people were killed and an estimated 391,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015. This is a 9-percent increase in fatalities as compared to the previous year.
An analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety of 2009 to 2012 data found that while more than 80 percent of drivers believed it was completely unacceptable for a motorist to text behind the wheel, more than a third of those same drivers admitted to reading text messages while operating a passenger motor vehicle themselves.
Winslow Township Police Department and NHTSA urge residents to put phones down when they get behind the wheel. If you need to text, pull over and park your vehicle first.
● Texting and driving is more than just personally risky. When you text and drive, you are a danger to everyone around you.
● No one likes to be criticized by a friend for doing something wrong, but it’s even worse to get caught by law enforcement and have to pay a fine.
● Don’t follow the pack, be a leader. When you get behind the wheel, be an example to your family and friends by putting your phone away.
● Speak up. If your friends are texting while driving, tell them to stop. Listen to your passengers; if they catch you texting while driving and tell you to put your phone away, put it down.
For more information, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.
