April 11, 2016
You better have your eyes on the road and hands on the steering wheel because police in Montgomery County are cracking down on distracted driving.
District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced via a press release Monday that law enforcement will be especially vigilant in identifying drivers who are operating a vehicle while distracted.
Distracted driving was the second-most common cause of crashes, according to data in 2014.
“In the five seconds it takes to send a text, a car driving 55 miles per hour covers more than the length of a football field. So while you are not watching the road and focused on your phone, your car is covering that distance essentially driverless,” said Steele. “And that is the dangerous situation created by distracted driving.”
Montgomery County issues the most citations for distracted driving in Pennsylvania.
Common activities for citations include texting, talking on a cellphone and changing music.
The current penalty for distracted driving in the state is a $50 fine.
On the District Attorney's website, a list of programs and phone apps designed to help prevent distracted driving has been posted.
