Fewer cited for distracted driving after increased enforcement program
In the past year, more than 9,500 citations were issued to Syracuse city drivers who were distracted behind the wheel.
After a series of crackdowns on distracted driving throughout the past year, handheld cellphone use and texting behind the wheel declined by one-third in Syracuse, according to a news release on the United States Department of Transportation’s website. On Monday, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Barbara Fialam, Syracuse city Mayor Stephanie Miner and Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler presented and discussed the results of the program in Syracuse University’s Schine Student Center.
Phone calls by The Daily Orange were not returned.
The Syracuse program was one of two pilot programs that each received $300,000 in funding; $200,000 from the federal government and another $100,000 from each state’s government. The Syracuse pilot program began in April 2010 with four different periods of enforcement in Syracuse. A total of 9,587 citations were issued during the four two-week waves that took place in April, July and October of 2010 and this April. Another pilot program was held in Hartford, Conn., and saw similar results.
‘These findings show that strong laws, combined with highly visible police enforcement, can significantly reduce dangerous texting and cellphone use behind the wheel,’ said LaHood said the release. Distracted driving fatalities represented 16 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2009, according to the release.
During the final distracted driving crackdown in Syracuse, an average of 17 officers a day were sent out to specifically look for distracted drivers, according to an April 19 article published in The Daily Orange.
Not only was the campaign supported by local police enforcement, but paid advertising and media coverage also aided in supporting the campaign, according to the release. The media campaign theme was structured similarly to the ‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign and was called ‘Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other.’
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to test this program at the statewide level next, according to the release.
Published on July 10, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Contact Meghin: medelane@syr.edu | @meghinwithani
