TRENTON– As New Jersey law enforcement agencies start the state’s annual “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” distracted driving enforcement campaign, which runs through April 30, the NJ Acting Attorney General and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety announced the results of a 2021 study that found that one in five drivers were driving distracted in high traffic areas.
Departments across the state, including the Ventnor City Police Department will be cracking down on drivers who text, talk on a cell phone, or engage in similar conduct that takes their focus off the road.
Ventnor City Police recently announced on its Facebook page that during the month of April, motorists will see an increase in police enforcing cell phone use while driving laws. The department received a $5,600 grant, part of $1.6 million awarded to law enforcement agencies statewide, to step up enforcement.
Kicking off National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said the study, commissioned by HTS and conducted by Rowan University, provided insight into distracted driver behavior and identified key factors that contribute to it.
“Distracted driving kills people – it is that simple. And these deaths are entirely preventable,” Platkin said in a release, calling on drivers to do their part and remain alert and focused at all times behind the wheel.
The study showed that driver inattention accounted for more than half of all crashes recorded in the state from 2011 through 2020, and for nearly a third of fatal crashes during that period – outpacing speeding and drunk driving as a contributing factor in traffic deaths.
“Distracted driving continues to be a serious problem in New Jersey,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Drivers are responsible for their actions behind the wheel of a vehicle. Please put the phone down and eliminate other driving distractions so the focus can be on driving safely.”
It is illegal in New Jersey to operate a motor vehicle while using a handheld electronic device. Violating this law subjects motorists to fines of $200 to $400 for a first offense and could increase to $800 with the addition of three insurance points in subsequent violations.
The study focused on six corridors in New Jersey with high incidents of distracted driving crashes: US1, US9, US130, I-80, US22, and the Garden State Parkway, and on four other important arterial and interstate roads in the State: I-295, I-95, NJ18, and NJ55.
During the spring and summer of 2021, researchers traversed nearly 15,000 miles on the 10 roadways in a vehicle mounted with cameras on both sides to observe, record, and document distracted driving in real time.
Researchers specifically looked for drivers taking their eyes of the road while texting or talking to passengers; taking their hands off the wheel while texting, receiving calls, tuning the radio, reaching for an object, or eating/drinking; and taking their mind off driving when texting or receiving calls.
Key findings of the study revealed:
- At any given time, more than 20% of motorists on the selected roadways were driving distracted.
- Driver distraction was higher on weekdays than on weekends.
- Handheld cellphones were the leading type of distraction on both weekends and weekdays.
- Receiving calls, texting, eating/drinking, and grooming were higher on weekdays than on weekends.Talking to passengers was higher on weekends than on weekdays.
- Roads with traffic signals experienced more distractions from “grooming and eating/drinking” than roads without traffic signals, while the latter had a greater proportion of “talking to passengers” events.
- The overall rate of distractions was greater during the “peak hours” of 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3-6 p.m.
- An increase in speed limit significantly increased distracted driving, while an increase in the number of lanes significantly
decreased it.
“While the overall findings of the Rowan Study paint a bleak picture, the information gleaned from the study provides us with important insights that will be used to develop strategies for addressing and mitigating distracted driving through enforcement and education,” HTS Director Eric Heitmann said. “Combatting driver inattention is a top priority for HTS, especially during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, when we join states across the nation in raising awareness of this problem and cracking down on violators.”
For more information, go to njsaferoads.com/destiny.
