Cranford Police To Crack Down On Distracted Driving In April

CRANFORD, NJ — As part of New Jersey's "UDrive. UText. UPay." enforcement campaign this month, Cranford Police will be cracking down on distracted driving, according to a recent announcement.

This new law enforcement initiative will target drivers who engage in dangerous distracted driving behaviors, such as talking on the phone or texting while driving, Cranford Police said.

According to the announcement, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2019 alone, 3,142 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in the U.S., and an estimated 400,000 people were injured.

In addition, driver inattention has remained the most frequently cited cause of fatal and incapacitating crashes in New Jersey — over seven times higher than the total crashes cited due to speeding from 2015 to 2019. Driver inattention was a contributing circumstance in nearly 49 percent of N.J. crashes in 2019, the announcement said.

"Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving," Cranford Police wrote.

Police said texting is the most alarming distraction because sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed, police said.

New Jersey is one of eight states nationally to receive dedicated federal funds this year to tackle the issue of driver distraction. This federal funding will be used for police overtime enforcement grants at the local level, as well as a statewide awareness campaign on this issue.

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