April is distracted driving awareness month. Distracted driving is a significant threat to traffic safety. We as a community need to work together on making our roads safer. The best way to end distracted driving is to educate motorists about the danger it poses and to strictly enforce Connecticut’s distracted driving laws.
New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:
- Texting
- Using a cell phone or smartphone
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading, including maps
- Using a navigation system
- Watching a video
- Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player
Connecticut Law
- The use of a handheld cellular telephone or other electronic device is banned for all drivers.
- The use of a cellular telephone (handheld and hands-free) is banned for bus drivers.
- The use (handheld and hands-free) of a cellular telephone or other electronic device while driving is banned for novice* drivers.
- Texting while driving is banned for all drivers.
*Connecticut defines novice drivers as those under the age of 18 or with a learner’s permit.
Some frightening facts
- In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
- At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.
- Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.
- 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
- 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger.
- Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
- Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
- Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.
- Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use.
While the facts about those killed and injured may sound like just statistics, they’re anything but. They could be parents, children, neighbors and friends from right here in New Canaan.
So, why do so many people participate in this dangerous behavior? We live in a world where people expect instant, real-time information 24 hours a day and those expectations don’t stop just because someone gets behind the wheel. Drivers still do not realize – or choose to ignore – the danger they create when they take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, and their focus off driving.
People often say, “I can do two things at once. I’ve memorized where the numbers are on my phone, so I don’t have to look.” Or, “Sending or reading one text is pretty quick – that should be okay.” They couldn’t be more wrong. Driving is an activity that requires your full attention and focus in order to keep yourself and others safe.
Yes, this is a national problem, but it also affects us right here in New Canaan. No one is immune from the dangers of distracted driving.
Accidents and Enforcement in New Canaan
From January 1, 2015 thru December 31, 2015, 511 motor vehicle accidents occurred in New Canaan. Of these accidents 38 caused injuries. Many of these accidents can be attributed to some form of distracted driving.
From January 1, 2015 thru December 31, 2015, our officers initiated 5,753 motor vehicle stops. Of these stops nearly 1000 were for distracted driving violations.
A frequent complaint from New Canaan residents is about distracted driving in their neighborhoods and in the center of our town. In response to unacceptable accident rates and community concern, our police department, with the support of the Police Commission and the community will launch an aggressive enforcement campaign that will target distracted drivers. Officers will use both marked and unmarked vehicles during this enforcement campaign.
Please “hang-up and drive” and do not be a distracted driver. Doing anything other than driving, while operating a vehicle, is dangerous. Remember that U-Text, U-Drive, U-Pay. Please take the pledge to end distracted driving (see PDF below).
Be better informed, connected, and send anonymous tips to our Department by downloading the “MYPD” application in the iPhone or Android marketplace. After downloading the application search for “New Canaan” and get connected.
Follow us on Twitter@newcanaanpolice for crime alerts and safety tips.
If you have a traffic complaint or request for enforcement please send an e-mail to: trafficsafety@newcanaanct.gov
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