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East Hartford Police Department Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 23, 2010
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NEWS RELEASE
EAST HARTFORD POLICE TO ENFORCE DISTRACTED DRIVING
Starting Friday, July 23, 2010, the East Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies across Connecticut will begin increasing enforcement efforts restricting the use of wireless devices by drivers.
Research on Distracted Driving Reveals Some Surprising Facts:
• In 2008, almost 20 percent of all crashes in the year involved some type of distraction. (U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – NHTSA).
• Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted driver and more than a million were injured. (NHTSA)
• Younger, inexperienced drivers under the age of 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes (16%). The age group with the next greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the 20 to 29 year old age group (12%). (NHTSA).
• Drivers who use hand-held devises are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• At any given moment during the daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone. (NHTSA)
• The proportion of drivers reportedly distracted at the time of the fatal crashes has increased from 8 percent in 2004 to 11 percent in 2008. (NHTSA)
• An estimated 21 percent of 1,630,000 injury crashes in 2008 were reported to have involved distracted driving. (NHTSA)
“These facts are just a reminder of how important it is to concentrate fully when driving and operating a motor vehicle. Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers. So PLEASE always drive safely and remember, Phone in one hand - Ticket in the other." Deputy Chief of Police Richard Vibberts.
Officer Hugo Benettieri
Public Information Officer
East Hartford Police Department
31 School Street
East Hartford, CT. 06108
Email: hbenettieri@easthartfordct.gov
860-291-7551
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