The Delaware State Police and the Delaware Office of Highway Safety again used unconventional vehicles in a distracted driving crackdown.
The last of four initiatives was conducted in Sussex County on Saturday during mid-afternoon. The area targeted involved secondary roadways in the Lewes area. During this operation, troopers used a stationary unconventional vehicle to spot distracted driving violations as well as seatbelt violations.
Once a violation was observed, troopers were provided with a description of the vehicle and driver along with a detailed description of the violation. During the four hour initiative, a total of 19 citations were issued for infractions including cell phone usage, seatbelt and child restraint violations and civil possession of marijuana.
An earlier action along Concord Pike in north Wilmington netted nearly 50 violations.
A total of 3,450 people were killed across the country in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2016. Nationally and in Delaware, distracted driving fatalities have been trending upward since 2012.
Texting while driving has become a trend among millennials. Young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety reported.
