Local law enforcement joins in Distracted Driving campaign - Hot Springs Sentinel
Hot Springs police, Garland County sheriff's deputies and Arkansas State Police are joining forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a "high visibility" crackdown on distracted driving beginning Monday through April 11.
The "U Drive, U Text, U Pay" crackdown involves law enforcement agencies working together nationally to enforce texting and distracted driving laws "to make our roads safer for all road users," a news release said.
According to the NHTSA, from 2012 to 2019, 26,004 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers. While fatalities from motor vehicle crashes decreased slightly from 2018, distraction-related fatalities increased by 10%.
NHTSA also reported the number of deaths linked to driver distraction was 3,142 nationwide, or almost 9% of all fatalities, in 2019, which represents a 10% increase over the year 2018, or 284 more fatalities.
The distraction figure was the largest increase in causes of traffic deaths reported for 2019, the release said.
"Millennials and Generation Z are the most distracted drivers, often using their cellphones to talk, text, and scroll through social media while behind the wheel," the release said, noting young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.
In 2019, 9% of people killed in driving crashes involving teens aged 15 to 19 died when the teen drivers were distracted at the time of the crash.
"Distracted driving has become a leading cause of vehicle crashes on our nation's roads, and much of this distraction is attributed to texting while driving," GCSO Deputy Courtney Kizer, the department's public information officer, said in the release.
"People know texting and driving is dangerous and often illegal, but they selfishly give themselves a personal exemption to do it anyway, and this behavior unfairly puts others at risk," HSPD Officer 1st Class Omar Cervantes, the department's public information officer, said in the release.
"Many drivers are guilty of a 'double standard' when it comes to distracted driving," the release said.
In its 2018 Traffic Safety Culture Index, the AAA Foundation reported that while nearly 96% of drivers believed it was "very or extremely dangerous" to read a text or email while driving, four out of 10 drivers admitted to doing so within the previous 30 days.
"These drivers give themselves a personal exemption to ignore the law while unfairly putting others at risk," Col. Bill Bryant, director of the Arkansas State Police and the Governor's Highway Safety Representative, said in the release.
"Beginning (Monday) state troopers won't be issuing warnings, they'll be writing violator citations as part of the 'U Text and Drive, You Pay' enforcement operation," he said.
Drivers are encouraged to follow these suggestions to ensure a safe driving experience:
• "If you are expecting a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe location. Only after you are off the roadway and stopped is it safe to text."
• "Ask your passenger to be a 'designated texter.' Allow the passenger access to your phone for responding to calls or messages."
• "Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving."
• "Cellphone use while driving can easily become a habit. Consider activating your phone's 'Do Not Disturb' feature while driving, or put the phone in the trunk, glove compartment, or back seat of the vehicle until arriving at your destination."
For more information, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/ campaign/distracted-driving.
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