Cherry Hill police are increasing enforcement against those who text or talk on their cell phones while driving, according to a press release on the city’s website last week.
The stepped-up enforcement will run through April 21 and is part of the UDrive. UText. UPay. campaign.
“Distracted driving is a serious issue on our roadways,” Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Safety, said in a statement. In 2012, there were about 3,300 people killed as a result of distracted driving across the country, Poedubicky said, quoting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Using a handheld device to talk or text while driving in New Jersey is against the law. A highway safety poll found that it happens frequently, however, with 41 percent of respondents to a 2014 survey saying they “very often” texted while driving.
April is National Distracted Driving Month.