Distracted Driving Enforcement Paused In Worcester For 'Do Not Disturb' Campaign

WORCESTER, MA — Over the first week in April, Worcester police won't ticket you if they catch you looking at your phone while driving.

But they will probably still pull you over.

The pause on tickets is part of the new "Do Not Disturb" campaign, an effort by local law enforcement to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, cell phone use in particular.

A coalition including the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, the RMV, MassDOT, Worcester police, the Safe Roads Alliance, AAA and the WalkBike Worcester kicked off the campaign on Monday. The coalition wants drivers to use the do-not-disturb feature found on iOS and Android phones that pauses notifications when it senses someone is driving.

And while Worcester police won't be giving out tickets, they will instead hand out information packets to drivers they catch violating the state's hands-free driving law, which went into effect in February 2020.

Members of the coalition said during a news conference they hope to bring new awareness to the dangers of using a phone while driving, which Worcester County DA Joseph Early Jr. likened to driving drunk.

"The U.S. is alone among developed nations with high and rising levels of serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways, particularly among people walking and rolling. Combined with design solutions that slow drivers and create space for other modes, public education campaigns encouraging drivers to turn their phones to Do Not Disturb and not use them while driving hold promise for encouraging more people to travel using human power by helping them be and feel safer," WalkBike Worcester co-founder Karin Valentine Goins said Monday.