Bristol Police Department will be participating in the U Drive, U text, U pay campaign this month

Police

Posted By: Jack Krampitz April 6, 2023

The Bristol Police Department issued the following this week:

Throughout the month of April 2023, there will be a greater effort to cut down on distracted driving. State and local police, including the Bristol Police Department, will be increasing enforcement of the distracted driving laws.

The mission statement of the Bristol Police Department is “To protect and serve the community with integrity and professionalism”. Motor vehicle enforcement plays an integral part of our commitment to serve the community in an effort to reduce motor vehicle accidents.

More specifically, our officers recognize that distracted driving related crashes kill and injure countless people across the country every year and these types of incidences are preventable.
Over the past decade, distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes on our nation’s roads. At any given moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using or manipulating electronic devices while driving.

In Connecticut in 2022, there were nearly 5,200 crashes attributed to distracted driving.

Pay Attention or Pay the Price

Graphic with text, keep your eyes on the road, don't text and drive.

NHTSA’s U Drive. U Text. U Pay. campaign reminds drivers of the deadly dangers and the legal consequences – including fines – of texting and other forms of messaging behind the wheel. Forty-eight states, as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands, have passed laws making it illegal to text while driving. From April 3-10, you may notice an increase in police enforcing texting and distracted-driving laws and reminding drivers of the dangers.

Since 2007, drivers 16 to 24 years old have been distracted by devices at higher rates than other drivers, but we’re all at risk for distracted-driving crashes. Consider these tips for safe driving:

•   If you must send or receive a text, pull over to a safe location and park your car first.
•   If you have passengers, appoint a “designated texter” to handle all your texting.
•   If you can’t resist the temptation to look at your phone, keep it in the trunk.

ll TBE readers, supporters and donors                

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

  • Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
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Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.