Crime & Safety

Distracted Driving Checkpoint in Redding Thursday

More scheduled for Danbury area crackdown over the next week.

Danbury area drivers are warned to be on the lookout for police checkpoints starting Thursday as part of the third of four regional distracted driving crackdowns in the “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” campaign.

The third enforcement drive will run Thursday to Thursday, from March 27 through April 3.

Officers will have the first area checkpoint set up on Route 7 at the Ridgefield/Redding town line (296 Ethan Allen Highway, Ridgefield) from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

During the first two crackdowns, area police issued more than 2,000 distracted driving citations, many for texting while driving.

“People need to know that we are serious about stopping this deadly behavior,” Danbury Police Chief Alan Baker said. “Distracted driving has reached epidemic levels and enforcement of our state law is part of the cure.”

Violating Connecticut’s cell phone and texting law, which became effective on Oct. 1, 2013, will cost violators between $150 and $500.

Texting and using a cell phone while driving are also considered moving violations, which can be reported to insurance companies. This can result in higher premiums for violators.

“When motorists text while driving, they’re giving themselves a personal exemption to break the law and put others at risk,” Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs said. “No one has that right and law enforcement officers won’t stand for it. We will see you, stop you, and ticket you.”

This partnership project between the Connecticut Department of Transportation, local law enforcement, and the U.S Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was created in 2012 to help identify effective strategies for enforcing laws banning texting and driving.

For more information, please visit www.distraction.gov.

Based off a release from Cashman + Katz Communications.


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