Stamford Police To Ramp-Up Enforcement On Distracted Driving

Stamford CT

15 October, 2021

4:34 PM

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STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford Police Department will increase enforcement over the next two weeks as part of the latest campaign to crack down on distracted drivers. The Connecticut Department of Transportation recently approved the city of Stamford's Highway Safety Project grant application. The federal funds allocated to the project go into effect Oct. 15 and stretch through April 30, 2022. "The goal of the project is to target suspected locations where distraction, as a result of hand-held mobile phone use by drivers, leads to crashes, and to identify areas where enforcement against distracted driving can most be effective," a news release from Mayor David Martin's office said. Martin said the safety of residents and those who visit Stamford has always been a priority of his administration. "Funding from this grant will further enable our Stamford Police Department to assist in making our roads safe for motorists and pedestrians," he said in a news release. The Stamford Police Department has selected intersections with a documented history of traffic violations in conjunction with a high volume of traffic. Each location was selected with officer and civilian safety in mind, and officers will be located in easily accessible off-road areas to survey traffic and issue infractions, according to a news release from the city. "Years of focused enforcement by the Stamford Police Department has resulted in a significant decrease in distracted driving," said Director of Public Safety Ted Jankowski in a news release. "This enforcement program will provide more funding to allow our officers to do what they do best — keep our streets safe." According to the CT-DOT, over the past decade, distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of car crashes in the country. "At any given moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using or manipulating electronic devices while driving – a number that has held steady for more than a decade. In Connecticut in 2020, there were nearly 5,000 crashes attributed to distracted driving," CT-DOT said in a news release Friday. As of Oct. 1, the fine for a violation of the distracted driving law in Connecticut was increased from $150 to $200 for a first time offender. The fines now go as high as $625 for multiple violations.