Business managers and fleet managers are being asked to have their field workers using company or personal vehicles to not use their cell phone handsets while driving.
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has kicked off a campaign entitled “Don’t be the You You Hate,” with police also cracking down on texting and use of handsets.
The stepped-up enforcement will take place from Feb. 27 to March 16.
The campaign is aimed at reminding motorists angry at other cell phone handset users, who later engage in the same behavior.
Drivers caught using a hand-held device will be fined $100 for their first offense. Subsequent offenses can result in $200 and $300 fines.
A vehicle can travel nearly 400 feet during the one second the driver is looking at the screen or texting or is focusing on the conversation at hand.
Drivers are urged to pull off the road when checking on directions or performing other tasks on a cell phone or through the dashboard video screen.
There were 37,461 lives lost on America’s roadways in 2016, and nearly 10 percent of those fatalities were distraction-related.
While the problem spans all age ranges, texting and driving have become a troubling trend among millennials who often live on their phones.
According to NHTSA, a higher rate of young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices. Older drivers are not exempt from the temptation to pick up a ringing phone or text.
For more information, please visit ohs.delaware.gov and www.arrivealivede.com/Just-Drive.
