Police Expand Distracted Driving Enforcement

Through Sunday, November 27, police will be conducting heightened enforcement of traffic laws concerning distracted driving and especially the illegal use of handheld cellphones while driving, said Aaron Bahamonde, the police department’s administrative sergeant.

The enforcement project will cover the whole town including school zones, businesses areas, and residential sections, he said.

Police will be issuing infractions that carry fines for violations of the handheld cell phone law, he said.

The fine for a first conviction is $125, for a second conviction the fine is $250, and for a third conviction the fine is $400. Such infractions are appealable in court.

State law allows drivers to use cellphones while driving, provided that they use a so-called hands-free device while traveling.

In 2008, an estimated one in six fatal auto accidents in the US involved a “distracted driver,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Drivers who use cellphones while traveling are four times more likely to cause accidents than drivers who do not use cellphones, police said.

Using a cellphone while driving constitutes a distraction to a driver comparable to being at the threshold for alcohol intoxication while driving, police said.

Also, starting on November 28, police plan to conduct a two-week-long enforcement project known as Click-It or Ticket. That project seeks motorists’ compliance with seatbelt usage laws.