April 09, 2010
By: Jana Bell
Distracted driving is causing more car accidents and more deaths.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a pilot program that will examine if stricter law enforcement can combat distracted driving. The department's campaign will be tested in Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse, New York.
This is the first federally funded program in the country to address distracted driving. Government officials will use public advertising campaigns and increased enforcement of the law to try and curb distracted driving.
The campaign's slogan is "Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other." Drivers who are found using hand-held cell phones, whether it's talking or texting, will be issued a ticket. LaHood said that "it’s time for drivers to act responsibly, put their hands on the wheel and focus on the road."
The enforcement campaign began in Syracuse on April 8 and will start in Hartford on April 10. There will be enforcement waves throughout the year. Each city's program required $300,000 in combined state and federal funds.
Research from the Transportation Department found that close to 6,000 people were killed and a half million people were injured in 2008 as a result of distracted driving.
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