The following information is on file with the Evesham Township Police Department:
The Evesham Township Police Department will be increasing its enforcement efforts on distracted drivers during the month of April as part of New Jersey’s “UDrive. UText. UPay.” enforcement campaign.
Beginning April 1 through April 21, police say the high visibility law enforcement initiative will target motorists who engage in dangerous distracted driving behaviors such as talking on hand-held cell phones and sending text messages while driving.
From March 16, 2018 to March 23, 2019, police say ETPD statistics show there were 1,441 roadway collisions in Evesham, with 663 related to distracted driving.
Police describe those statistics as “staggering,” with 46 percent of all accidents on Evesham roadways coming as a result of distracted driving.
According to police, ETPD officers are committed and dedicated in making Evesham’s roadways safer, which includes distracted-driving enforcement throughout the year.
In 2017, the department launched two zero-tolerance distractive driving operations specifically targeting improper cellphone use inside the department’s designated Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) Zone, which integrates location-based crime and traffic data to establish effective and efficient methods for deploying law enforcement and other resources.
Police say each operation ran for about three hours and resulted in nearly 100 cell-phone summonses being issued.
Police say the cellphone-enforcement details have the goal of reducing distracted drivers and prevent collisions that could result in injuries.
The cell-phone operations, which consisted of unmarked and marked cars, will be conducted more frequently throughout the township. Police ask residents to stay alert, be hands-free or simply wait to make calls and texts.
As noted by ETPD officials, New Jersey law prohibits texting while driving. The penalties for texting and driving for the first offense include a fine of $200 to $400.
The second offense fine increases to $400 to $600.
The third (or subsequent) offense includes a fine of $600 to $800, three motor vehicle points on a license and a possible 90-day license suspension.
These fines do not include any court costs that may be incurred.
According to the New Jersey Division of highway Traffic Safety, distracted driving is a “dangerous epidemic” on New Jersey’s roadways, being cited as a major contributing factor in more than 817,000 motor vehicle crashes in the state from 2010 to 2014.
Nationwide, police say 3,179 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in 2014 alone.
To combat these statistics, law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey will be using a combination of “traditional and innovative” strategies to crack down on motorists who text and drive.
This effort is a part of the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. high-visibility enforcement campaign that combines periods of intense anti-texting enforcement coupled with advertising and media outreach to let people know about the enforcement and convince them to obey the law.
U Drive. U Text. U Pay. enforcement strategies include roving police patrols, spotters on highway overpasses and stationary police vehicles prominently placed at strategic locations.
Historically, police say the most effective tool used to change driver behavior are targeted law enforcement campaigns, such as Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket.
Since their inception, police say those two initiatives have resulted in significant reductions in impaired driving and gains in seat belt usage, respectively.
