Medford Police participating in distracted driving crackdown
The Medford Township Police Department will take part in a new program being initiated by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety.
Through April 21, the Medford Township Police Department, as well as police agencies throughout the state, will join with the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Distracted Driving 2014 Statewide Crackdown. This is part of a nationwide enforcement effort, with the slogan UDrive. UText. UPay.
The purpose of the campaign is to undertake visible, targeted enforcement during April, which is National Distracted Driving Month. Enforcement activities will specifically focus on driver behaviors that distract from the task of driving.
In 2012 an estimated 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver, this was a nine percent increase from the estimated 387,000 people injured in 2011.
Motorists should only use a bluetooth device to answer phone calls while driving. There are many distracting elements while driving: texting or holding a mobile phone, using MP3 players, and eating to name a few.
The Medford Township Police Department requests that all motorists traveling through Medford Township stop their cars when receiving a telephone call in a safe manner on the side of the roadway.