Trenton, NJ – New Jersey’s annual “UDrive. UText. UPay.” distracted driving crackdown begins April 1 and runs through the end of the month.

Calling distracted driving “a dangerous epidemic,” the state of New Jersey explains the crackdown is part of a “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.”

Enforcement strategies during the month-long crackdown include roving police patrols, spotters on highway overpasses, and stationery police vehicles prominently placed at strategic locations, law enforcement said.

State officials claim texting and driving is the “most alarming” distraction while driving, as the act “requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver.”

In addition to texting and driving, law enforcement will be looking for the following forms of distracted driving during the month-long crackdown:

• Using a cell phone/smart phone,
• Eating and drinking,
• Talking to passengers,
• Grooming,
• Reading (including maps),
• Using GPS,
• Watching a video,
• Adjusting a radio/CD player/MP3 player.

According to NJ.gov, distracted driving was a “major contributing factor” in almost 800,000 motor vehicle crashes from 2012 to 2016 in the state.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

A crackdown on truckers last week along a Georgia interstate led to nearly 100 citations for cell phone use violations.

Click HERE to read more.

Photo courtesy New Jersey State Police

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