DOT Sets Stepped-Up Enforcement on Distracted Driving

The Department of Transportation has kicked off a pilot program in New York and Connecticut to test whether concentrated law enforcement can make drivers put down their cell phones.

“Law enforcement will be out on the roads in Syracuse, N.Y., and Hartford, Conn., with one simple message: if a driver is caught with a cell phone in one hand, they’ll end up with a ticket in the other,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement Thursday.

“High-visibility enforcement” will be conducted in the Syracuse area beginning Thursday through April 17, and in the Hartford area from Saturday through April 16, DOT said.

The pilot program includes an advertising campaign in both states, similar to other federally funded programs under which local law enforcement officers step up enforcement of drunk driving or seat-belt use.

Researchers will evaluate whether the stepped up enforcement program causes drivers to change attitudes and behavior. Six states prohibit cell phone use while driving and 21 states ban texting while driving.