Governor Dannel Malloy will launch a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving on Thursday.
Distracted driving involves fiddling with a GPS behind the wheel, talking on a cell phone, and the worst offense: texting and driving.
Gov. Malloy has proclaimed Thursday, Sept. 19 as “Don’t Text And Drive Day” in Connecticut. He will officially launch the campaign at 11:30 a.m. in Hartford.
According to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), one in five accidents that resulted in injury in 2010 were caused by distracted driving.
A recent study conducted by the organization found that nearly 70 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 64 reported that they talked on their cell phone while driving in the 30 days previous to the study. In addition, more than 30 percent of drivers in that same age range reported that they text while driving.
Connecticut police officers are looking for people on their phones while on the road. Distracted driving penalties will become even stiffer next month. Starting on Oct. 1st, distracted driving will result in increased fines and points on a driver’s license.