Distracted Driving Citations And Crashes Are On The Rise in New Jersey
April was Distracted Driving Awareness Month
The National Safety Council recognized April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month, employing the slogan: “U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY.” Local Police in towns such as North Plainfield conducted roadside stings in order to catch distracted drivers. In order to bust distracted drivers, North Plainfield officers posed as construction workers or surveyors and then watched for anyone driving with a phone in their hand(s).
Distracted Driving in New Jersey – the Numbers
Distraction-affected crashes and citations are on the rise yearly. Of the 3 million auto accidents that occurred in New Jersey from 2013-2014, nearly half involved driver inattention, according to the NJ state Attorney General. Although much publicity and negative attention has been brought to this issue, distracted driving seems to only get progressively worse.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has provided funds to 60 police departments in 10 New Jersey counties to facilitate the set up of checkpoints and patrol increases.
Text messaging, and talking on a hand-held device while driving is illegal in the state of New Jersey. Penalty fines will be increasing on July 1st of this year.
An experienced lawyer can minimize the consequences of a traffic citation. We provide defense for a myriad of traffic charges, including distracted driving offenses and:
- Driving without insurance
- Driving with a revoked or suspended license
- DUI-DWI
- Speeding and/or reckless driving