ENGLISHTOWN — Police officers in Englishtown will be cracking down on distracted drivers during April as part of New Jersey’s UDrive. UText. UPay. enforcement campaign.
The campaign began on April 1 and runs through April 21. It will target motorists who engage in dangerous distracted driving behaviors such as talking on a hand-held cell phone and sending text messages while driving, according to a press release from the Englishtown Police Department.
Distracted driving is a serious issue on the state’s roads, according to Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2014, 3,179 people were killed in distracted driving crashes and an estimated 431,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the press release.
Despite the fact that using a hand-held cell phone or texting while driving is illegal in New Jersey, the practice appears to be widespread, according to the press release.
In a recent survey conducted by the FDU PublicMind Poll for the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, 67 percent of respondents said they “very often” see people driving and talking on a hand-held cell phone and 42 percent of respondents said they “very often” see drivers texting, according to the press release.
The campaign is being carried out during April, which the National Safety Council has designated as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.