April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Newport Beach Police Department has extra officers deployed to crack down on offenders, particularly drivers using cell phones.
In a 2016 survey, more than 54 percent of drivers in California said they had been hit or almost hit by a driver who was talking or texting on a cell phone, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and concealed identity traffic enforcement vehicles as part of the operation to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving.
"Every driver feels they are the one who can text when they are behind the wheel, but the crash data shows that it is just a matter of time before you cause a crash that kills or injures yourself or someone else", Blackwood said. The crackdown, called Operation Hang Up, is a special enforcement effort to step up patrols and checkpoints targeting drivers on electronic devices through Monday. "While the New York State Police enforces New York's handheld cell phone and electronic device laws at all times, Troopers will crack down on violators during the Operation Hang-Up campaign".
State officials say there was an increase of more than 900 percent in tickets for texting while driving in NY from 2011 to 2016.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY) Receives $60.98 Average PT from Analysts
The current share price indicates that stock is -29.28% away from its one year high and is moving 16.95% ahead of its 52-week low. Blume Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.4% in the third quarter.
During last year's Operation Hang Up campaign, state police say they issued more than 18,000 tickets, including more than 2,000 for distracted driving. Coupled with the rising presence of mobile devices, a road replete with distracted drivers and exhausted truckers could prove quite hazardous. These distractions include using a phone, looking around, or simply taking your mind off driving.
April traditionally marks the start of the spring driving season.
There were 3,477 people killed and 391,000 injured in distracted driving crashes across the nation in 2015.
Under current New York State law, drivers can be fined between $50 and $200 for violating distracted driving laws.
In conjunction with the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, safety presentations will be held at various high schools and venues throughout the state to teach teens the reality and consequences of distracted driving.
Comments