Put Down The Cell Phone - Long Beach Island Police Departments Will Be Looking For You

Keep your eyes on the road.

Police departments up and down Long Beach Island will be looking for distracted drivers and ticketing them for the next several weeks, according to The Sandpaper.

Officers will participate in the federal and state campaign "U Drive. U Text. U Pay" which will run from April 1 through April 21.

Enforcement strategies include roving police patrols, spotters on highway overpasses, and stationary police vehicles prominently placed at strategic locations. It is similar to such other law enforcement campaigns as Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket.

The New Jersey Division of Traffic Safety defines distracted driving as texting, using a cell phone or smartphone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading watching a video, using a navigation systems or adjusting a radio or CD player.

In other words, just about anything that doesn't involve driving.

“If you’re sitting at a red light, I’d bet one out of every four cars has a driver either talking or texting,” said Ship Bottom Police Chief Paul Sharkey. “It’s just as bad in the off-season as it is during the summer.”

Violators face fines of between $200 and $400 for the first offense, while a second offense is not less than $400 or more than $600. For a third or subsequent violation, the court may order the person to forfeit the right to operate a motor vehicle for a period of 90 days and be assessed three motor vehicle penalty points.

“We will be actively addressing this, and do so as a matter of public safety – throughout the year,” said Long Beach Township Police Chief Anthony Deely. “We will also be posting messages (sign boards) reminding people of the hazards associated with distracted driving. The traffic safety and community policing units will assist in these efforts as well.”

If you get caught, especially using a cell phone, Stafford Township Patrolman Christopher Fritz said officers will especially looking for drivers using cell phones.

“That’s a primary traffic stop,” he said. “If you are caught, you will get a ticket.”

Image: New Jersey Division of Highway Safety