Cambridge Police Department Joins Statewide Effort to Reduce Distracted Driving Crashes

The Cambridge Police Department will partner with more than 200 eligible local Massachusetts law enforcement agencies and the Massachusetts State Police in the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. mobilization to crack down on texting while driving.  The campaign, which combines traditional and innovative enforcement strategies, begins on April 8 and continues through April 29.  The initiative is funded by a grant administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

“Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving.  Distracted Driving is a major problem in Massachusetts, and we’re trying to keep the public safe by fining violators with heightened enforcement,” said Cambridge Police Deputy Superintendent Jack Albert.

Texting while driving was outlawed in Massachusetts in 2010.  Adult drivers who write, send, or read electronic messages or browse the Internet while driving face a $100 fine for a first offense – even if the vehicle is stopped in traffic.  Teen drivers under 18 are entirely prohibited from using mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving, including to make phone calls.  The fine for a juvenile first offense is $100, a 60 day license suspension, and required completion of a driver attitudinal course. 

These costly violations underscore the danger inherent in Distracted Driving.  In 2014, across the United States, 3,179 people were killed and an additional 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

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The Cambridge Police Department is committed to the enforcement of laws and preservation of order that protect the rights and property of every person within the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to provide the highest quality of police service and to impact crime, and its associated elements, through the utilization of new and proven crime prevention strategies and problem-solving partnerships with our community.  For more information, follow @CambridgePolice on Twitter, or access the department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CambridgePolice.