Readington Township Poilice will be participationg in a statewide crackdown on Distracted Driving April 1st to April 21st 2017.

Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on New Jersey's roadways, being cited as a major contribuiting factor in over 817,000 motor vehicle crashes in the state from 2010 to 2014. Nationwide 3,179 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in 2014 alone.

To Combat these troubling statistics, law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey will be using a combination of traditional and innovated strategies to crack down on motorists who test and drive. This effort is a part of the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. high-visibility enforcement (HVE) campaign that combines periods of intense anti-texting enforcement coupled with advertising and media outreach to let people know about the enforcement and convince them to obey the law. U Drive. U Text. U Pay enforcement strategies include roving police patrols, spotters on highway overpasses and stationary police vehicles prominently placed at strategic locations.

Historically, the most effective tool used to change driver behavior are targeted law enforcement campaigns, like Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket. Since their inception, these two initiatives have resluted in significant reductions in impaired driving and gains in seat belt usage, respectively.

Distratced 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

Grooming

Reading, including maps

Using a navigation system

Watching a video

Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

But, Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.