For some time now, residents in Connecticut have heard reports about the dangers of distracted driving. Similar to campaigns created that were designed to combat drunk driving, today efforts are often targeted at the new kid on the risk block – distracted driving.
The Hartford Courant reported that in the summer of 2018, the United States government even provided financial assistance to the state of Connecticut so that the state could pay for additional law enforcement officers during a targeted distracted driving crackdown campaign. This campaign was launched with a broad focus on any activity that might cause a driver to be distracted, not just the illegal use of a mobile phone or other electronic device.
As explained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, a person who receives a ticket for distracted driving may pay a fine up to a few hundred dollars depending on whether or not that person has any prior distracted driving offenses on record.
However, it is reasonable for Connecticut residents to wonder if the fines are enough. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 3,400 people were killed in automobile accidents involving a distracted driver in 2016 alone. Distractions can involve anything that takes a driver’s eyes, mind or hands away from the act of driving. Some distractions may involve only one of those factors but others involve two or even all three, greatly increasing the level of risk they pose not just to the driver who is distracted but to their passengers and anyone around them at the time.